Related papers: Null-homologous unknottings
The singular instanton Floer homology was defined by Kronheimer and Mrowka in connection with their proof that the Khovanov homology is an unknot detector. We study this theory for knots and two-component links using equivariant gauge…
We consider homologically essential simple closed curves on Seifert surfaces of genus one knots in $S^3$, and in particular those that are unknotted or slice in $S^3$. We completely characterize all such curves for most twist knots: they…
Generalizing unknotting number, $n$-adjacent knots have $n$ crossings such that changing any non-empty subset of them results in the unknot. In this paper, we determine the 2-adjacent knots through 12 crossings. Using Heegaard Floer…
We introduce an invariant of tangles in Khovanov homology by considering a natural inverse system of Khovanov homology groups. As application, we derive an invariant of strongly invertible knots; this invariant takes the form of a graded…
Let K be a knot that has an unknotting tunnel tau. We prove that K admits a strong involution that fixes tau pointwise if and only if K is a two-bridge knot and tau its upper or lower tunnel.
The unknotting number of a knot is the minimum number of crossings one must change to turn that knot into the unknot. The algebraic unknotting number is the minimum number of crossing changes needed to transform a knot into an Alexander…
It has been argued based on electric-magnetic duality that the Jones polynomial of a knot in three dimensions can be computed by counting the solutions of certain gauge theory equations in four-dimension. And the Euler characteristic of…
We show that the smooth homotopy 4-sphere obtained by Gluck twisting the m-twist n-roll spin of any unknotting number one knot is diffeomorphic to the standard 4-sphere, for any pair of integers (m,n). It follows as a corollary that an…
Let $K$ be a knot in a rational homology sphere $M$. This paper investigates the question of when modifying $K$ by adding $m>0$ half-twists to two oppositely-oriented strands, while keeping the rest of $K$ fixed, produces a knot isotopic to…
In this paper, we study a geometric/topological measure of knots and links called the nullification number. The nullification of knots/links is believed to be biologically relevant. For example, in DNA topology, one can intuitively regard…
A gordian unlink is a finite number of unknots that are not topologically linked, each with prescribed length and thickness, and that cannot be disentangled into the trivial link by an isotopy preserving length and thickness throughout. In…
We introduce a special class of knots, called global knots, in F^2 x R and we construct new isotopy invariants, called T-invariants, for global knots. Some T-invariants are of finite type but they cannot be extracted from the generalized…
We prove that the unreduced singular instanton homology $I^\sharp(Y,K;\mathbb{Z})$ has $2$-torsion for any null-homologous fibered knot $K$ of genus $g>0$ in a closed $3$-manifold $Y$ except for $\#^{2g}S^1\times S^2$. The main technical…
Knot contact homology is an invariant of knots derived from Legendrian contact homology which has numerous connections to the knot group. We use basic properties of knot groups to prove that knot contact homology detects every torus knot.…
Extending upon our previous work, we verify the Jones Unknot Conjecture for all knots up to $24$ crossings. We describe the method of our approach and analyze the growth of the computational complexity of its different components.
Generalizing Howie and Greene's characterization of alternating knots, we give a topological characterization of almost alternating knots.
We develop purely algebraic methods for proving that a knot is prime. Our approach uses the Heegaard Floer polynomial in conjunction with classical knot-theoretic methods: cyclic, dihedral, and metacyclic covering spaces. The theory of…
Frequently, knots are enumerated by their crossing number. However, the number of knots with crossing number $c$ grows exponentially with $c$, and to date computer-assisted proofs can only classify diagrams up to around twenty crossings.…
In knot concordance three genera arise naturally, g(K), g_4(K), and g_c(K): these are the classical genus, the 4-ball genus, and the concordance genus, defined to be the minimum genus among all knots concordant to K. Clearly 0 <= g_4(K) <=…
For each $g>0$ we give infinitely many knots that are strongly negative amphichiral, hence rationally slice and representing 2-torsion in the smooth concordance group, yet which do not bound any locally flatly embedded surface in the 4-ball…