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Motivated by a problem asked by Richter and by the long standing Harary-Hill conjecture, we study the relation between the crossing number of a graph $G$ and the crossing number of its cone $CG$, the graph obtained from $G$ by adding a new…

Combinatorics · Mathematics 2016-08-30 Carlos A. Alfaro , Alan Arroyo , Marek Derunár , Bojan Mohar

We determine a simple condition on a particular state graph of an alternating knot or link diagram that characterizes when the unoriented genus and crosscap number coincide, extending work of Adams and Kindred. Building on this same work…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2025-08-07 Moshe Cohen , Thomas Kindred , Adam M. Lowrance , Patrick D. Shanahan , Cornelia A. Van Cott

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…

The crossing number of a graph $G$ is the minimum number of edge crossings over all drawings of $G$ in the plane. A graph $G$ is $k$-crossing-critical if its crossing number is at least $k$, but if we remove any edge of $G$, its crossing…

Combinatorics · Mathematics 2020-09-22 János Barát , Géza Tóth

We introduce an alternative stratification of knots: by the size of lattice on which a knot can be first met. Using this classification, we find ratio of unknots and knots with more than 10 minimal crossings inside different lattices and…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2023-09-07 E. Lanina , A. Popolitov , N. Tselousov

It is known that each knot has a semimeander diagram (i. e. a diagram composed of two smooth simple arcs), however the number of crossings in such a diagram can only be roughly estimated. In the present paper we provide a new estimate of…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2026-03-26 Yury Belousov

We study relations between unknotting number and crossing number of a spatial embedding of a handcuff-graph and a theta curve. It is well known that for any non-trivial knot $K$ twice the unknotting number of $K$ is less than or equal to…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2021-03-23 Yuta Akimoto

We introduce a new numerical knot invariant, termed the \textit{segment number}, which is derived from partitioned knot diagrams subject to specific over/under-crossing constraints. We prove that a knot is non-trivial if and only if its…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2026-02-19 Makoto Ozawa

A long standing open conjecture states that if a link $\mathcal{K}$ is alternating, then its ropelength $L(\mathcal{K})$ is at least of the order $O(Cr(\mathcal{K}))$. A recent result shows that the maximum braid index of a link bounds the…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2021-08-25 Yuanan Diao

Given a knot diagram $D$, we construct a semi-threading circle for it which can be an axis of $D$ as a closed braid depending on knot diagrams. In particular, we consider semi-threading circles for minimal diagrams of a knot with respect to…

General Topology · Mathematics 2013-02-18 Jae-Wook Chung , Seulgi Jeong , Dongseok Kim

For any given number of crossings $c$, there exists a formula to determine the number of 2-bridge knots of $c$ crossings, and indeed it is a simple matter to actually construct presentations of these knots. However, the determination of…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2007-05-23 David De Wit

The ribbon number $r(K)$ of a ribbon knot $K \subset S^3$ is the minimal number of ribbon intersections contained in any ribbon disk bounded by $K$. We find new lower bounds for $r(K)$ using $\det(K)$ and $\Delta_K(t)$, and we prove that…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2024-08-22 Stefan Friedl , Filip Misev , Alexander Zupan

A knot is a closed loop in space without self-intersection. Two knots are equivalent if there is a self homeomorphism of space bringing one onto the other. An arc presentation is an embedding of a knot in the union of finitely many half…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2024-06-25 Hwa Jeong Lee , Alexander Stoimenow , Gyo Taek Jin

If a knot K in a closed, orientable 3-manifold M has a bridge surface T with distance at least 3 in the curve complex of T - K, then the genus of any essential surface in its exterior with non-empty, non-meridional boundary gives rise to an…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2012-11-21 Ryan Blair , Marion Campisi , Jesse Johnson , Scott A. Taylor , Maggy Tomova

Knots are commonly found in molecular chains such as DNA and proteins, and they have been considered to be useful models for structural analysis of these molecules. One interested quantity is the minimum number of monomers necessary to…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2015-06-23 Youngsik Huh , Kyungpyo Hong , Hyoungjun Kim , Sungjong No , Seungsang Oh

A quadruple crossing is a crossing in a projection of a knot or link that has four strands of the knot passing straight through it. A quadruple crossing projection is a projection such that all of the crossings are quadruple crossings. In a…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2019-02-20 Colin Adams

A knot k is called ``strongly (n-1)-trivial.'' if there exists a projection of k, such that one can choose n crossings of the projection with the property that making the crossing changes corresponding to any of the $2^{n}-1$ nontrivial…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2007-05-23 Hugh Howards , John Luecke

We define a knot to be half ribbon if it is the cross-section of a ribbon 2-knot, and observe that ribbon implies half ribbon implies slice. We introduce the half ribbon genus of a knot K, the minimum genus of a ribbon knotted surface of…

The untwisting number of a knot K is the minimum number of null-homologous twists required to convert K to the unknot. Such a twist can be viewed as a generalization of a crossing change, since a classical crossing change can be effected by…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2024-07-24 Samantha Allen , Kenan Ince , Seungwon Kim , Benjamin Matthias Ruppik , Hannah Turner

Traditionally, knot theorists have considered projections of knots where there are two strands meeting at every crossing. A triple crossing is a crossing where three strands meet at a single point, such that each strand bisects the…

Geometric Topology · Mathematics 2018-05-14 Daishiro Nishida