Related papers: Knots from the random matrix theory with a replica
This paper is a survey of knot theory and invariants of knots and links from the point of view of categories of diagrams. The topics range from foundations of knot theory to virtual knot theory and topological quantum field theory.
We use the famous knot-theoretic consequence of Freedman's disc theorem---knots with trivial Alexander polynomial bound a locally-flat disc in the 4-ball---to prove the following generalization. The degree of the Alexander polynomial of a…
We develop a dimer model for the Alexander polynomial of a knot. This recovers Kauffman's state sum model for the Alexander polynomial using the language of dimers. By providing some additional structure we are able to extend this model to…
The first and last named authors have demonstrated the existence of knots for which every integral slope is non-characterizing. In this short note, we extend this result in two ways. There exists a knot that shares for every integer n the…
We study the twisting fault emerging in circular knitting and its relation to the mathematical concepts of framing curves and the Gauss linking integral. We create three knitted bands with framing zero, one, and negative two, and use three…
The expectation value of Wilson loop operators in three-dimensional SO(N) Chern-Simons gauge theory gives a known knot invariant: the Kauffman polynomial. Here this result is derived, at the first order, via a simple variational method.…
We investigate Feynman diagrams which are calculable in terms of generalized one-loop functions, and explore how the presence or absence of transcendentals in their counterterms reflects the entanglement of link diagram constructed from…
We introduce and study knotoids. Knotoids are represented by diagrams in a surface which differ from the usual knot diagrams in that the underlying curve is a segment rather than a circle. Knotoid diagrams are considered up to Reidemeister…
Recent work on the loop representation of quantum gravity has revealed previously unsuspected connections between knot theory and quantum gravity, or more generally, 3-dimensional topology and 4-dimensional generally covariant physics. We…
We briefly review the current situation with various relations between knot/braid polynomials (Chern-Simons correlation functions), ordinary and extended, considered as functions of the representation and of the knot topology. These include…
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…
A Gauss diagram is a simple, combinatorial way to present a knot. It is known that any Vassiliev invariant may be obtained from a Gauss diagram formula that involves counting (with signs and multiplicities) subdiagrams of certain…
A string figure is topologically a trivial knot lying on an imaginary plane orthogonal to the fingers with some crossings. The fingers prevent cancellation of these crossings. As a mathematical model of string figure we consider a knot…
The presence of slipknots in configurations of proteins and DNA has been shown to affect their functionality, or alter it entirely. Historically, polymers are modeled as polygonal chains in space. As an alternative to space curves, we…
We describe various properties and give several characterizations of ternary groups satisfying two axioms derived from the third Reidemeister move in knot theory. Using special attributes of such ternary groups, such as semi-commutativity,…
Kronheimer and Mrowka asked whether the difference between the four-dimensional clasp number and the slice genus can be arbitrarily large. This question is answered affirmatively by studying a knot invariant derived from equivariant…
Let K be a tame knot with irreducible exterior M(K) in a closed, connected, orientable 3--manifold Sigma such that pi_1(Sigma) is cyclic. If infinity is not a strict boundary slope, then the diameter of the set of strict boundary slopes of…
We define a set of "second-order" L^(2)-signature invariants for any algebraically slice knot. These obstruct a knot's being a slice knot and generalize Casson-Gordon invariants, which we consider to be "first-order signatures". As one…
We generalize the classical study of Alexander polynomials of smooth or PL locally-flat knots to PL knots that are not necessarily locally-flat. We introduce three families of generalized Alexander polynomials and study their properties.…
Given any unoriented link diagram, a group of new knot invariants are constructed. Each of them satisfies a generalized 4 term skein relation. The coefficients of each invariant is from a commutative ring. Homomorphisms and representations…