几何拓扑
In this paper, we define the \textit{normal form} and \textit{normal coordinate} of a rational 3-tangle $T$ with respect to $\partial E_1$, where $E_1$ is the fixed two punctured disk in $\Sigma_{0,6}$. Among all normal coordinates of $T$…
We present the $CWR$ invariant, a new invariant for alternating links, which builds upon and generalizes the $WRP$ invariant. The $CWR$ invariant is an array of two-variable polynomials that provides a stronger invariant compared to the…
We introduce an invariant of alternating knots and links (called here WRP), namely a pair of integer polynomials associated with their two checkerboard planar graphs from their minimal diagram. We prove that the invariant is well-defined…
We show that infinite cyclic subgroups of groups acting uniformly properly on injective metric spaces are uniformly undistorted. In the special case of hierarchically hyperbolic groups, we use this to study translation lengths for actions…
Let $E_i$ be an oriented circle bundle over a closed oriented aspherical $n$-manifold $M_i$ with Euler class $e_i\in H^2(M_i;\mathbb{Z})$, $i=1,2$. We prove the following: (i) If every finite-index subgroup of $\pi_1(M_2)$ has trivial…
Mann and Rafi's seminal work initiated the study of the coarse geometry of big mapping class groups. Specifically, they construct coarsely bounded (CB) generating sets for mapping class groups of a large class of infinite-type surfaces. In…
Motivated by applications to pulling back quantum cellular automata from one manifold to another, we study the existence of immersions between certain smooth 4-manifolds. We show that they lead to a very interesting partial order on closed…
Let $M$ be a compact $4$-manifold and let $S$ and $T$ be embedded $2$-spheres in $M$, both with trivial normal bundle. We write $M_S$ and $M_T$ for the $4$-manifolds obtained by the Gluck twist operation on $M$ along $S$ and $T$…
One approach to produce a pair of homeomorphic-but-not-diffeomophic closed 4-manifolds is to find a knot which is smoothly slice in one but not the other. This approach has never been run successfully. We give the first examples of a pair…
In my 1993 paper, "Pappus's Theorem and the Modular Group", I explained how the iteration of Pappus's Theorem gives rise to a $2$-parameter family of representations of the modular group into the group of projective automorphisms. In this…
We study the equivariant concordance classes of two-bridge knots, providing an easy formula to compute their butterfly polynomial, and we give two different proofs that no two-bridge knot is equivariantly slice. Finally, we introduce a new…
A link in $S^3$ is called real algebraic if it is the link of an isolated singularity of a polynomial map from $\mathbb{R}^4$ to $\mathbb{R}^2$. It is known that every real algebraic link is fibered and it is conjectured that the converse…
The Dehn quandle of a closed orientable surface is the set of isotopy classes of non-separating simple closed curves with a natural quandle structure arising from Dehn twists. In this paper, we consider finiteness of some canonical…
In \cite{MR1957829}, Ozsv\'ath and Szab\'o use Heegaard Floer homology to define numerical invariants $d_{1/2}$ and $d_{-1/2}$ for 3-manifolds $Y$ with $H_{1}(Y;\mathbb{Z})\cong \mathbb{Z}$. We define involutive Heegaard Floer theoretic…
Let $S$ be a closed oriented surface and $G$ a finite group of orientation preserving automorphisms of $S$ whose orbit space has genus at least $2$. There is a natural group homomorphism from the $G$-centralizer in $Diff^+(S)$ to the…
This paper initiates the study of circular orderability of $3$-manifold groups, motivated by the L-space conjecture. We show that a compact, connected, $\mathbb{P}^2$-irreducible $3$-manifold has a circularly orderable fundamental group if…
We conjecture an upper bound on the growth of the Yokota invariant of polyhedral graphs, extending a previous result on the growth of the $6j$-symbol. Using Barrett's Fourier transform we are able to prove this conjecture in a large family…
This paper introduces a new algebra, the crossing algebra, that is applied to count the number of components for arborescent knots, links, tangles or states (of a state polynomial expansion such as the Kauffman bracket). This algebra is…
We introduce new methods in pseudo-isotopy and embedding space theory. As an application we introduce an invariant that detects nontrivial loops of embedded 2-spheres in $S^{2} \times S^{2}$ and in connected sums of $S^{2} \times S^{2}$.…
We describe a new method of producing equations for the canonical component of representation variety of a knot group into $PSL_2(\mathbb{C})$. Unlike known methods, this one does not involve any polyhedral decomposition or triangulation of…