Related papers: Squeezed Knots
Let \nu be any integer-valued additive knot invariant that bounds the smooth 4-genus of a knot K, |\nu(K)| <= g_4(K), and determines the 4-ball genus of positive torus knots, \nu(T_{p,q}) = (p-1)(q-1)/2. Either of the knot concordance…
The concordance genus of a knot K is the minimum three-genus among all knots concordant to K. For prime knots of 10 or fewer crossings there have been three knots for which the concordance genus was unknown. Those three cases are now…
The perturbed Alexander invariant $\rho_1$, defined by Bar-Natan and van der Veen, is a powerful, easily computable polynomial knot invariant with deep connections to the Alexander and colored Jones polynomials. We study the behavior of…
We establish inequalities that constrain the genera of smooth cobordisms between knots in 4-dimensional cobordisms. These "relative adjunction inequalities" improve the adjunction inequalities for closed surfaces which have been…
In 2003, Ozsv\'ath, Szab\'o, and Rasmussen introduced the $\tau$ invariant for knots, and in 2011, Sarkar published a computational shortcut for the $\tau$ invariant of knots that can be represented by diagonal grid diagrams. Previously,…
Knotted vortices such as those produced in water by Kleckner and Irvine tend to transform by reconnection to collections of unknotted and unlinked circles. The reconnection number $R(K)$ of an oriented knot of link $K$ is the least number…
Torus knots are an important family of knots about which much is understood; invariants of torus knots often exhibit nice formulas, making them convenient and fundamental building blocks for examples in knot theory. Spiral knots, defined…
We present new computations of approximately length-minimizing polygons with fixed thickness. These curves model the centerlines of "tight" knotted tubes with minimal length and fixed circular cross-section. Our curves approximately…
We propose two types of topologically stable knot solitons in condensed matters, one in two-component Bose-Einstein condensates and one in two-gap superconductors. We identify the knot in Bose-Einstein condensates as a twisted vorticity…
The slicing number of a knot, $u_s(K)$, is the minimum number of crossing changes required to convert $K$ to a slice knot. This invariant is bounded above by the unknotting number and below by the slice genus $g_s(K)$. We show that for many…
We present new obstructions for a knot K in S^3 to admit purely cosmetic surgeries, which arise from the study of Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev invariants at fixed level. In particular, we strengthen a recent result of Hanselman, showing that…
We give an obstruction to unknotting a knot by adding a twisted band, derived from Heegaard Floer homology.
For certain classes of knots we define geometric invariants called higher-order genera. Each of these invariants is a refinement of the slice genus of a knot. We find lower bounds for the higher-order genera in terms of certain von Neumann…
It is well-known that generic perturbations of the complex Frobenius algebra used to define Khovanov cohomology each give rise to Rasmussen's concordance invariant s. This gives a concordance homomorphism to the integers and a strong lower…
Symmetry of geometrical figures is reflected in regularities of their algebraic invariants. Algebraic regularities are often preserved when the geometrical figure is topologically deformed. The most natural, intuitively simple but…
We show that if a co-dimension two knot is deform-spun from a lower-dimensional co-dimension 2 knot, there are constraints on the Alexander polynomials. In particular this shows, for all n, that not all co-dimension 2 knots in S^n are…
As proved by Hedden and Ording, there exist knots for which the Ozsvath-Szabo and Rasmussen smooth concordance invariants, tau and s, differ. The Hedden-Ording examples have nontrivial Alexander polynomials and are not topologically slice.…
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.…
A minimal knot is the intersection of a topologically embedded branched minimal disk in $\mathbb{R}^4$ $\mathbb{C}^2 $ with a small sphere centered at the branch point. When the lowest order terms in each coordinate component of the…
A knot in a thickened surface $K$ is a smooth embedding $K:S^1 \rightarrow \Sigma \times [0,1]$, where $\Sigma$ is a closed, connected, orientable surface. There is a bijective correspondence between knots in $S^2 \times [0,1]$ and knots in…