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Related papers: Superbridge and Bridge Indices for Knots

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A ribbon is a two-dimensional object with one-dimensional properties which is related with geometry, robotics and molecular biology. A folded ribbon structure provides a complex structure through a series of folds. We focus on a folded…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2022-08-09 Hyoungjun Kim , Sungjong No , Hyungkee Yoo

This paper concerns the H(2)-unknotting numbers of links related to 2-bridge links. It consists of three parts. In the first part, we consider a necessary and sufficient condition for a 2-bridge link to have H(2)-unknotting number one. The…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2011-04-25 Yuanyuan Bao

For a knot or link K, let L(K) be the ropelength of K and Cr(K) be the crossing number of K. In this paper, we show that there exists a constant a>0 such that L(K) is bounded above by a Cr(K) ln^5 (Cr(K)) for any knot K. This result shows…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2009-12-18 Yuanan Diao , Claus Ernst , Attila Por , Uta Ziegler

For a knot K, let b_n(K) be the minimum length of an n-stranded braid representative of K. Examples of knots exist for which b_n(K) is a non-increasing function. We investigate the behavior of b_n(K). We develop bounds on the function in…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2014-10-01 Cornelia A. Van Cott

Using Gauss diagrams, one can define the virtual bridge number ${\rm vb}(K)$ and the welded bridge number ${\rm wb}(K),$ invariants of virtual and welded knots with ${\rm wb}(K) \leq {\rm vb}(K).$ If $K$ is a classical knot, Chernov and…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2015-04-17 Hans U. Boden , Anne Isabel Gaudreau

In this article we study a partial ordering on knots in the 3-sphere where K_1 is greater than or equal to K_2 if there is an epimorphism from the knot group of K_1 onto the knot group of K_2 which preserves peripheral structure. If K_1 is…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2014-10-01 Jim Hoste , Patrick D. Shanahan

We classify irreducible II_1 subfactors A \subset B such that B \ominus A is reducible as an A-A bimodule, with index at most 6+1/5, leaving aside the composite subfactors at index exactly 6. Previous work has already achieved this up to…

Operator Algebras · Mathematics 2015-09-03 Zhengwei Liu , Scott Morrison , David Penneys

A slope $p/q$ is characterising for a knot $K \subset \mathbb{S}^3$ if the orientation-preserving homeomorphism type of the manifold $\mathbb{S}^3_K(p/q)$ obtained by performing Dehn surgery of slope $p/q$ along $K$ uniquely determines the…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2025-11-06 Patricia Sorya , Laura Wakelin

Region crossing change for a knot or a proper link is an unknotting operation. In this paper, we provide a sharp upper bound on the region unknotting number for a large class of torus knots and proper links. Also, we discuss conditions on…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2013-05-30 Vikash Siwach , Madeti Prabhakar

The cubic lattice stick index of a knot type is the least number of sticks necessary to construct the knot type in the 3-dimensional cubic lattice. We present the cubic lattice stick index of various knots and links, including all…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2012-05-24 Colin Adams , Michelle Chu , Thomas Crawford , Stephanie Jensen Kyler Siegel , Liyang Zhang

Cohen, Lowrance, Madras, and Raanes computed the average (absolute value of) signature over all 2-bridge knots with crossing number $c$ by introducing the number $s(c,\sigma)$ of 2-bridge knots of crossing number $c$ and signature $\sigma$.…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2026-04-24 Cody Baker , Moshe Cohen , Henry Dam , Rebecca Felber , Neal Madras , Ritvik Saha , Daisy Thackrah

A knot K is called n-adjacent to the unknot, if K admits a projection containing n generalized crossings such that changing any m (no larger than n) of them yields a projection of the unknot. We show that a non-trivial satellite knot K is…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2007-05-23 Efstratia Kalfagianni , Xiao-Song Lin

The knot Floer order $\operatorname{Ord}(K)$ is a knot invariant derived from knot Floer homology that provides bounds on many other invariants, such as the bridge index $\operatorname{br}(K)$ for which $\operatorname{Ord}(K) + 1 \leq…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2025-09-26 David Suchodoll

We have developed a reinforcement learning agent that often finds a minimal sequence of unknotting crossing changes for a knot diagram with up to 200 crossings, hence giving an upper bound on the unknotting number. We have used this to…

We study the band-unknotting number $u_{nb}(K)$ of a knot $K$, and how it behaves with respect to connect sums. We show that this sub-additive function is not additive under connected sums, by finding infinitely many examples of knots $K_1,…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2025-12-09 Nakisa Ghanbarian , Stanislav Jabuka

We develop a reinforcement learning pipeline for simplifying knot diagrams. A trained agent learns move proposals and a value heuristic for navigating Reidemeister moves. The pipeline applies to arbitrary knots and links; we test it on…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2026-04-30 Anne Dranowski , Yura Kabkov , Daniel Tubbenhauer

In 2013, Adams introduced the $n$-crossing number of a knot $K$, denoted by $c_n(K)$. Inequalities between the $2$-, $3$-, $4$-, and $5$-crossing numbers have been previously established. We prove $c_9(K)\leq c_3(K)-2$ for all knots $K$…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2023-10-18 Nicholas Hagedorn

Suppose $K$ is a knot in a closed 3-manifold $M$ such that $\bar{M-N(K)}$ is irreducible. We show that for any positive integer $b$ there exists a triangulation of $\bar{M-N(K)}$ such that any weakly incompressible bridge surface for $K$ of…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2014-10-01 Robin T. Wilson

A bridge trisection of a smooth surface in $S^4$ is a decomposition analogous to a bridge splitting of a link in $S^3$. The Kirby-Thompson invariant of a bridge trisection measures its complexity in terms of distances between disc sets in…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2026-05-13 Román Aranda , Puttipong Pongtanapaisan , Scott A. Taylor , Cindy Zhang

We give examples showing that Kidwell's inequality for the maximal degree of the Brandt-Lickorish-Millett-Ho polynomial is in general not sharp.

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2008-08-30 A. Stoimenow