English

Quantum equations for knots

Geometric Topology 2025-09-22 v2

Abstract

This paper contains linear systems of equations which can distinguish knots without knot invariants. Let MnM_n be the topological moduli space of all n-component string links and such that a fixed projection into the plane is an immersion. If a string link is the product of some string link diagram TT and the parallel n-cable of a framed long knot diagram DD, then there is a canonical arc pushpush in MnM_n, defined by pushing TT through the n-cable of DD. In this paper we apply the combinatorial 1-cocycles from the HOMFLYPT and Kauffman polynomials in MnM_n with values in the corresponding skein modules to this canonical arc in MnM_n. Some of the 1-cocycles lead to linear systems of equations in the skein modules, for each couple of diagrams DD and DD'. If the system has no solution in the Laurent polynomials then DD and DD' represent different knots. We give first examples where we distinguish knots without any knot invariants. In particular, we distinguish the knot 9429_{42} from its mirror image with equations coming from the HOMFLYPT polynomial. Notice that the knot 9429_{42} and its mirror image share the same HOMFLYPT polynomial. On the other hand, each solution of the system gives rather fine information about any regular isotopy which connects DD with DD'.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2509.08423,
  title  = {Quantum equations for knots},
  author = {Thomas Fiedler and Butian Zhang},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.08423},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

45 pages, more examples are given

R2 v1 2026-07-01T05:29:46.904Z