Related papers: Alexander-Beck modules detect the unknot
In this article, we present some of the properties of the $L^2$-Alexander invariant of a knot defined by Li and Zhang, some of which are similar to those of the classical Alexander polynomial. Notably we prove that the $L^2$-Alexander…
The classical abelian invariants of a knot are the Alexander module, which is the first homology group of the the unique infinite cyclic covering space of S^3-K, considered as a module over the (commutative) Laurent polynomial ring, and the…
Cochran defined the nth-order integral Alexander module of a knot in the three sphere as the first homology group of the knot's (n+1)th-iterated abelian cover. The case n=0 gives the classical Alexander module (and polynomial). After a…
The group of a nontrivial knot admits a finite permutation representation such that the corresponding twisted Alexander polynomial is not a unit.
We look into computational aspects of two classical knot invariants. We look for ways of simplifying the computation of the coloring invariant and of the Alexander module. We support our ideas with explicit computations on pretzel knots.
It follows from earlier work of Silver-Williams and the authors that twisted Alexander polynomials detect the unknot and the Hopf link. We now show that twisted Alexander polynomials also detect the trefoil and the figure-8 knot, that…
It is known, since works of Burde and de Rham, that one can detect the roots of the Alexander polynomial of a knot by the study of the representations of the knot group into the group of the invertible upper triangular $2x2$ matrices. In…
In this note we give concise formulas, which lead to a simple and fast computer program that computes a powerful knot invariant. This invariant $\rho_1$ is not new, yet our formulas are by far the simplest and fastest: given a knot we write…
We give a new construction of the one-variable Alexander polynomial of an oriented knot or link, and show that it generalizes to a vector valued invariant of oriented tangles.
We explore the application of automated reasoning techniques to unknot detection, a classical problem of computational topology. We adopt a two-pronged experimental approach, using a theorem prover to try to establish a positive result…
This paper deals with the study of a new family of knot invariants: the $L^2$-Alexander invariant. A main result is to give a method of computation of the $L^2$-Alexander invariant of a knot complement using any presentation of default 1 of…
Given a homomorphism from a knot group to a fixed group, we introduce an element of a $K_1$-group, which is a generalization of (twisted) Alexander polynomials. We compare this $K_1$-class with other Alexander polynomials. In terms of…
It is known that knot Floer homology detects the genus and Alexander polynomial of a knot. We investigate whether knot Floer homology of $K$ detects more structure of minimal genus Seifert surfaces for $K$. We define an invariant of…
Twisted Alexander invariants of knots are well-defined up to multiplication of units. We get rid of this multiplicative ambiguity via a combinatorial method and define normalized twisted Alexander invariants. We then show that the…
It is known that the Alexander polynomial detects fibered knots and 3-manifolds that fiber over the circle. In this note, we show that when the Alexander polynomial becomes inconclusive, the notion of "knot adjacency", studied in the paper…
We introduce a new algebraic topological technique to detect non-fibred knots in the three sphere using the twisted Alexander invariants. As an application, we show that for any Seifert matrix of a knot with a nontrivial Alexander…
The mock Alexander polynomial is an extension of the classical Alexander polynomial, defined and studied for (virtual) knots and knotoids by the second and third authors. In this paper we consider the mock Alexander polynomial for…
We introduce an associative algebra Z[X,S] associated to a birack shadow and define enhancements of the birack counting invariant for classical knots and links via representations of Z[X,S] known as shadow modules. We provide examples which…
We introduce a new invariant of tangles along with an algebraic framework in which to understand it. We claim that the invariant contains the classical Alexander polynomial of knots and its multivariable extension to links. We argue that of…
Twisted Alexander invariants have been defined for any knot and linear representation of its group. The invariants are generalized for any periodic representation of the commutator subgroup of the knot group. Properties of the new twisted…