Related papers: The third term in lens surgery polynomials

Let $K$ be a genus $g$ alternating knot with Alexander polynomial $\Delta_K(T)=\sum_{i=-g}^ga_iT^i$. We show that if $|a_g|=|a_{g-1}|$, then $K$ is the torus knot $T_{2g+1,\pm2}$. This is a special case of the Fox Trapezoidal Conjecture.…

Suppose the knot group G(K) of a knot K has a non-abelian representation \rho on A_4 \subset GL(4,Z). We conjecture that the twisted Alexander polynomial of K associated to \rho is of the form: \Delta_K(t)/(1-t) \phi(t^3), where \Delta_K…

Two knots in three-space are S-equivalent if they are indistinguishable by Seifert matrices. We show that S-equivalence is generated by the doubled-delta move on knot diagrams. It follows as a corollary that a knot has trivial Alexander…

When $K$ is a knot and $p \gg 0$ is a prime, we discuss a finite set whose cardinality is $\Delta_K(p^n)$, the value of the Alexander polynomial of $K$ at $p^n$.

We study the invariant of knots in lens spaces defined from quantum Chern-Simons theory. By means of the knot operator formalism, we derive a generalization of the Rosso-Jones formula for torus knots in L(p,1). In the second part of the…

The A-polynomial of a knot in S^3 defines a complex plane curve associated to the set of representations of the fundamental group of the knot exterior into SL(2,C). Here, we show that a non-trivial knot in S^3 has a non-trivial…

We describe necessary and sufficient conditions for a knot in an L-space to have an L-space homology sphere surgery. We use these conditions to reformulate a conjecture of Berge about which knots in S^3 admit lens space surgeries.

We study the twisted Alexander polynomial $\Delta_{K,\rho}$ of a knot $K$ associated to a non-abelian representation $\rho$ of the knot group into $SL_2(\BC)$. It is known for every knot $K$ that if $K$ is fibered, then for every…

Let K be a fibered knot in the 3-sphere. We show that if the monodromy of K is sufficiently complicated, then Dehn surgery on K cannot yield a lens space. Work of Yi Ni shows that if K has a lens space surgery then it is fibered. Combining…

We investigate a polynomial factorization problem that naturally arises from Hartley's factorization condition on the Alexander polynomial of freely periodic knots. We give a number-theoretic interpretation of this factorization condition,…

In this paper, we analyze L-space surgeries on two component L-space links. We show that if one surgery coefficient is negative for the L-space surgery, then the corresponding link component is an unknot. If the link admits very negative…

Let $K$ be a hyperbolic knot in the 3-sphere. If $r$-surgery on $K$ yields a lens space, then we show that the order of the fundamental group of the lens space is at most $12g-7$, where $g$ is the genus of $K$. If we specialize to genus one…

We show that if a positive integral surgery on a knot K inside a homology sphere X with Seifert genus g(K) results in an induced knot K_n in X_n(K)=Y which has simple Floer homology, we should have n>=2g(K). Moreover, if X is the standard…

In this thesis, we prove several results concerning field-theoretic invariants of knots and 3-manifolds. In Chapter 2, for any knot $K$ in a closed, oriented 3-manifold $M$, we use $SU(2)$ representation spaces and the Lagrangian field…

For a knot $K$ in $S^3$, the $sl_2$-colored Jones function $J_K(n)$ is a sequence of Laurent polynomials in the variable $t$, which is known to satisfy non-trivial linear recurrence relations. The operator corresponding to the minimal…

We show that if a closed, oriented 3-manifold M is promised to be homeomorphic to a lens space L(n,k) with n and k unknown, then we can compute both n and k in polynomial time in the size of the triangulation of M. The tricky part is the…

We compute the Kauffman skein module of the complement of torus knots in S^3. Precisely, we show that these modules are isomorphic to the algebra of Sl(2,C)-characters tensored with the ring of Laurent polynomials.

For a knot $K$ with $\Delta_K(t)\doteq t^2-3t+1$ in a homology $3$-sphere, let $M$ be the result of $2/q$-surgery on $K$. We show that an appropriate assumption on the Reidemeister torsion of the universal abelian covering of $M$ implies…

We will show that if $K$ is a knot of prime period $p>2$ and whose Alexander polynomial $\Delta_K(t)$ is monic and of degree $p-1$, then $\Delta_K(t)$ is uniquely determined only by $p$.

We show that the $L^2$-Alexander torsion of a 3-manifold is symmetric. This can be viewed as a generalization of the symmetry of the Alexander polynomial of a knot.