Related papers: Unlinking Number and Unlinking Gap

We study the algorithmic aspect of edge bundling. A bundled crossing in a drawing of a graph is a group of crossings between two sets of parallel edges. The bundled crossing number is the minimum number of bundled crossings that group all…

We describe a method of encoding various types of link diagrams, including those with classical, flat, rigid, welded, and virtual crossings. We show that this method may be used to encode link diagrams, up to equivalence, in a notation…

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…

The purpose of this article is to give a preliminary clarification on the relation between crossing number and crossing change. With a main focus on the span of X polynomial, we prove that, as our theorem claims, the crossing number of the…

The braid indices of most links remain unknown as there is no known universal method that can be used to determine the braid index of an arbitrary knot. This is also the case for alternating knots. In this paper, we show that if $K$ is an…

We show that for any nontrivial knot $K$ and any natural number $n$ there is a diagram $D$ of $K$ such that the unknotting number of $D$ is greater than or equal to $n$. It is well known that twice the unknotting number of $K$ is less than…

We compute the unknotting number of two infinite families of pretzel knots, $P(3,1,\dots,1,b)$ (with $b$ positive and odd and an odd number of 1s) and $P(3,3,3c)$ (with $c$ positive and odd). To do this, we extend a technique of Owens using…

In a previous work, the first and third authors studied a random knot model for all two-bridge knots using billiard table diagrams. Here we present a closed formula for the distribution of the crossing numbers of such random knots. We also…

Frequently, knots are enumerated by their crossing number. However, the number of knots with crossing number $c$ grows exponentially with $c$, and to date computer-assisted proofs can only classify diagrams up to around twenty crossings.…

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…

Let $b$ be a numeration base. A $b$-Niven number is one that is divisible by the sum of its base $b$ digits. We introduce high degree $b$-Niven numbers. These are $b$-Niven numbers that have a power greater than $1$ that is $b$-Niven…

Our main result is a version of Birman's theorem about equivalence of plats, which does not involve stabilization, for the unlink. We introduce the pocket and flip moves, which modify a plat without changing its link type or bridge index.…

We study the quandle counting invariant for a certain family of finite quandles with trivial orbit subquandles. We show how these invariants determine the linking number of classical two-component links up to sign.

We have new solutions to the Yang-Baxter equation, from which we have constructed new link invariants containing more than two arbitrary parameters. This may be regarded as a generalization of the Jones' polynomial. We have also found…

We introduce new skein invariants of links based on a procedure where we first apply the skein relation only to crossings of distinct components, so as to produce collections of unlinked knots. We then evaluate the resulting knots using a…

We introduce the Orchard crossing number, which is defined in a similar way to the well-known rectilinear crossing number. We compute the Orchard crossing number for some simple families of graphs. We also prove some properties of this…

We give a simple and practical algorithm to compute the link polynomials, which are defined according to the skein relations. Our method is based on a new total order on the set of all braid representatives. As by-product a new complete…

In the note we study Legendrian and transverse knots in rationally null-homologous knot types. In particular we generalize the standard definitions of self-linking number, Thurston-Bennequin invariant and rotation number. We then prove a…

It is known that the writhe calculated from any reduced alternating link diagram of the same (alternating) link has the same value. That is, it is a link invariant if we restrict ourselves to reduced alternating link diagrams. This is due…

We present a practical algorithm to determine the minimal genus of non-orientable spanning surfaces for 2-bridge knots, called the crosscap numbers. We will exhibit a table of crosscap numbers of 2-bridge knots up to 12crossings (all 362 of…