Related papers: Twisted Alexander polynomials detect the unknot
We study several properties of the completed group ring $\widehat{\mathbb{Z}}[[t^{\widehat{\mathbb{Z}}}]]$ and the completed Alexander modules of knots. Then we prove that if the profinite completions of the groups of two knots $J$ and $K$…
We study when the Thurston norm is detected by twisted Alexander polynomials associated to representations of the 3-manifold group to SL(2, C). Specifically, we show that the hyperbolic torsion polynomial determines the genus for a large…
We classify the irreducible finite-dimensional representations of the twisted quantum affine algebras.
Let $\mathsf{B}_1$ be the polynomial ring $\mathbb{C}[a^{\pm1},b]$ with the structure of a complex Hopf algebra induced from its interpretation as the algebra of regular functions on the affine linear algebraic group of complex invertible…
We prove duality theorems for twisted Reidemeister torsions and twisted Alexander polynomials generalizing the results of Turaev. As a corollary we determine the parity of the degrees of twisted Alexander polynomials of 3-manifolds in many…
Cochran defined the nth-order integral Alexander module of a knot in the three sphere as the first homology group of the knot's (n+1)th-iterated abelian cover. The case n=0 gives the classical Alexander module (and polynomial). After a…
To every knot (or link) diagram K, we associate a cluster algebra A that contains a cluster x with the property that every cluster variable in x specializes to the Alexander polynomial of K. We call x the knot cluster of A. Furthermore,…
Kishino's knot is not detected by the fundamental group or the bracket polynomial; these invariants cannot differentiate between Kishino's knot and the unknot. However, we can show that Kishino's knot is not equivalent to unknot by applying…
The leading coefficient of the Alexander polynomial of a knot is the most informative element in this invariant, and the growth of orders of the first homology of cyclic branched covering spaces is also a familiar subject. Accordingly,…
In this paper, we show that Alexander polynomials for any 2-bridge knots are specializations of cluster variables. A key tool is an ancestral triangle which appeared in both quantum topology and hyperbolic geometry in different ways.
Let C_T be the subgroup of the smooth knot concordance group generated by topologically slice knots and let C_D be the subgroup generated by knots with trivial Alexander polynomial. We prove the quotient C_T/C_D is infinitely generated, and…
The Jones unknot conjecture states that the Jones polynomial distinguishes the unknot from nontrivial knots. We prove it for knots up to 23 crossings.
Defect characterizes the depth of factorization of terms in differential (cyclotomic) expansions of knot polynomials, i.e. of the non-perturbative Wilson averages in the Chern-Simons theory. We prove the conjecture that the defect can be…
There are infinitely many pretzel links with the same Alexander polynomial (actually with trivial Alexander polynomial). By contrast, in this note we revisit the Jones polynomial of pretzel links and prove that, given a natural number S,…
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…
We prove that many pretzel knots of the form $P(2n,m,-2n\pm1,-m)$ are not topologically slice, even though their positive mutants $P(2n, -2n\pm1, m, -m)$ are ribbon. We use the sliceness obstruction of Kirk and Livingston related to the…
A group invariant for links in thickened closed orientable surfaces is studied. Associated polynomial invariants are defined. The group detects nontriviality of a virtual link and determines its virtual genus.
Inspired by the combinatorial constructions in earlier work of the authors that generalized the classical Alexander polynomial to a large class of spatial graphs with a balanced weight on edges, we show that the value of the Alexander…
In this paper we prove that every coefficient of twisted Alexander polynomials of torus knots associated with irreducible $\mathrm{SL}_n(\Bbb C)$-representations is an $\Bbb A$-valued locally constant function on the $\mathrm{SL}_n(\Bbb…
The A-polynomial of a knot is defined in terms of SL(2,C) representations of the knot group, and encodes information about essential surfaces in the knot complement. In 2005, Dunfield-Garoufalidis and Boyer-Zhang proved that it detects the…