Related papers: A remarkable 20-crossing tangle

A petal projection of a knot $K$ is a projection of a knot which consists of a single multi-crossing and non-nested loops. Since a petal projection gives a sequence of natural numbers for a given knot, the petal projection is a useful model…

The concordance orders of many algebraic order two knots of ten or fewer crossings have been heretofore unknown. We use Casson-Gordon invariants and twisted Alexander polynomials to find that, in all but one case, these knots do not have…

Let K be a 3-stranded knot (or link), and let L denote the number of crossings in K. Let $\epsilon_{1}$ and $\epsilon_{2}$ be two positive real numbers such that $\epsilon_{2}$ is less than or equal to 1. In this paper, we create two…

In a previous work, the first and third authors studied a random knot model for all two-bridge knots using billiard table diagrams. Here we present a closed formula for the distribution of the crossing numbers of such random knots. We also…

Introducing a way to modify knots using $n$-trivial rational tangles, we show that knots with given values of Vassiliev invariants of bounded degree can have arbitrary unknotting number (extending a recent result of Ohyama, Taniyama and…

The motivation for this work was to construct a nontrivial knot with trivial Jones polynomial. Although that open problem has not yielded, the methods are useful for other problems in the theory of knot polynomials. The subject of the…

There are infinitely many pretzel links with the same Alexander polynomial (actually with trivial Alexander polynomial). By contrast, in this note we revisit the Jones polynomial of pretzel links and prove that, given a natural number S,…

The slicing number of a knot, $u_s(K)$, is the minimum number of crossing changes required to convert $K$ to a slice knot. This invariant is bounded above by the unknotting number and below by the slice genus $g_s(K)$. We show that for many…

Although most knots are nonalternating, modern research in knot theory seems to focus on alternating knots. We consider here nonalternating knots and their properties. Specifically, we show certain classes of knots have nontrivial Jones…

The partition number $\pi(K)$ of a simplicial complex $K\subset 2^{[n]}$ is the minimum integer $\nu$ such that for each partition $A_1\uplus\ldots\uplus A_\nu = [n]$ of $[n]$ at least one of the sets $A_i$ is in $K$. A complex $K$ is…

We study the distribution of zeroes of the Jones polynomial $V_K(t)$ for a knot $K$. We have computed numerically the roots of the Jones polynomial for all prime knots with $N\leq 10$ crossings, and found the zeroes scattered about the unit…

Many well studied knots can be realized as positive braid knots where the braid word contains a positive full twist; we say that such knots are twist positive. Some important families of knots are twist positive, including torus knots,…

The 2-bridge knots are a family of knots with bridge number 2. In this paper, we compute the Kauffman polynomials of 2-bridge knots using the Kauffman skein theory and linear algebra techniques. Our calculation can be easily carried out…

We show that the torsion order $\mathrm{Ord}(K)$ of a knot $K$ in knot Floer homology gives a lower bound on the minimum number $n$ such that an oriented $(n+1)$-tangle replacement unknots $K$. This generalizes earlier results by Alishahi…

The cosmetic crossing conjecture posits that switching a non-trivial crossing in a knot diagram always changes the knot type. Generalizing work of Balm, Friedl, Kalfagianni and Powell, and of Lidman and Moore, we give an Alexander…

The expectation value of Wilson loop operators in three-dimensional SO(N) Chern-Simons gauge theory gives a known knot invariant: the Kauffman polynomial. Here this result is derived, at the first order, via a simple variational method.…

A knot diagram has an associated looped interlacement graph, obtained from the intersection graph of the Gauss diagram by attaching loops to the vertices that correspond to negative crossings. This construction suggests an extension of the…

A torti-rational knot, denoted by K(2a,b|r), is a knot obtained from the 2-bridge link B(2a,b) by applying Dehn twists an arbitrary number of times, r, along one component of B(2a,b). We determine the genus of K(2a,b|r) and solve a question…

We show that for each even integer $m\ge 2$, every reduced shadow with sufficiently many crossings is a shadow of a torus knot T(2,m+1), or of a twist knot $T_m$, or of a connected sum of $m$ trefoil knots.

A partial order on prime knots can be defined by declaring $J\ge K$ if there exists an epimorphism from the knot group of $J$ onto the knot group of $K$. Suppose that $J$ is a 2-bridge knot that is strictly greater than $m$ distinct,…