Related papers: Two strand twisting

Experimental data from Dunfield et al using random grid diagrams suggests that the genus of a knot grows linearly with respect to the crossing number. Using billiard table diagrams of Chebyshev knots developed by Koseleff and Pecker and a…

For some families of two-bridge knots, including double-twist knots with genus at least four, we determine precisely the set of integers $n>1$ such that the fundamental group of the $n$-fold cyclic branched cover of the 3-sphere along these…

It is well known that any link can be represented by the closure of a braid. The minimum number of strings needed in a braid whose closure represents a given link is called the braid index of the link and the well known…

We introduce a new algebraic topological technique to detect non-fibred knots in the three sphere using the twisted Alexander invariants. As an application, we show that for any Seifert matrix of a knot with a nontrivial Alexander…

Twisted links are obtained from a base link by starting with a $n$-braid representation, choosing several ($m$) adjacent strands, and applying one or more twists to the set. Various restrictions may be applied, e.g. the twists may be…

A partial order on prime knots can be defined by declaring $J\ge K$ if there exists an epimorphism from the knot group of $J$ onto the knot group of $K$. Suppose that $J$ is a 2-bridge knot that is strictly greater than $m$ distinct,…

Character expansion is introduced and explicitly constructed for the (non-colored) HOMFLY polynomials of the simplest knots. Expansion coefficients are not the knot invariants and can depend on the choice of the braid realization. However,…

A knotted ribbon is one of physical aspect of a knot. A folded ribbon knot is a depiction of a knot obtained by folding a long and thin rectangular strip to become flat. The ribbonlength of a knot type can be defined as the minimum length…

We show that if a knot admits a prime, twist-reduced diagram with at least 4 twist regions and at least 6 crossings per twist region, then every non-trivial Dehn filling of that knot is hyperbolike. A similar statement holds for links. We…

We relate the stability of knot invariants under twisting a pair of strands to the stability of symmetric quivers under unlinking (or linking) operation. Starting from the HOMFLY-PT skein relations, we confirm the stable growth of…

We give a simple characterization of braids that can be unplaited keeping separately their upper ends and their lower ends tied together

We study the twisted Alexander polynomial from the viewpoint of the SL(2,C)-character variety of nonabelian representations of a knot group. It is known that if a knot is fibered, then the twisted Alexander polynomials associated with…

We report on the geometry and mechanics of knotted stiff strings. We discuss both closed and open knots. Our two main results are: (i) Their equilibrium energy as well as the equilibrium tension for open knots depend on the type of knot as…

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 give a complete characterization of the topological slice status of odd 3-strand pretzel knots, proving that an odd 3-strand pretzel knot is topologically slice if and only if either it is ribbon or has trivial Alexander polynomial. (By…

In a classic paper Zeeman introduced the k-twist spin of a knot K and showed that the exterior of a twist spin fibers over S^1. In particular this result shows that the knot K # -K is doubly slice. In this paper we give a quick proof of…

We show that there are hyperbolic tunnel-number one knots with arbitrarily high bridge number and that "most" tunnel-number one knots are not one-bridge with respect to an unknotted torus. The proof relies on a connection between bridge…

Let $D$ be a knot diagram, and let ${\mathcal D}$ denote the set of diagrams that can be obtained from $D$ by crossing exchanges. If $D$ has $n$ crossings, then ${\mathcal D}$ consists of $2^n$ diagrams. A folklore argument shows that at…

In this work, we explore the combinatorics arising from the quiver generating series of the unreduced $r$-colored HOMFLY-PT polynomial $\bar{P}_r(a,q)$ for some twist-knots and double twist knots. By taking the limit $a = 0$ and $q = 1$, we…

The lattice stick number $s_L(K)$ of a knot $K$ is defined to be the minimal number of straight line segments required to construct a stick presentation of $K$ in the cubic lattice. In this paper, we find an upper bound on the lattice stick…