arXiv research

We give a complete characterization of those essential simple loops on 2-bridge spheres of 2-bridge links which are null-homotopic in the link complements. By using this result, we describe all upper-meridian-pair-preserving epimorphisms between 2-bridge link groups.

The purpose of this note is to announce complete answers to the following questions. (1) For an essential simple loop on a 2-bridge sphere in a 2-bridge link complement, when is it null-homotopic in the link complement? (2) For two distinct essential simple loops on a 2-bridge sphere in a 2-bridge link complement, when…

Improved lower bounds on 2-bridge link complexity.

This is the second of a series of papers which give a necessary and sufficient condition for two essential simple loops on a 2-bridge sphere in a 2-bridge link complement to be homotopic in the link complement. The first paper of the series treated the case of the 2-bridge torus links. In this paper, we treat the case …

In this paper and its prequel, we give a necessary and sufficient condition for two essential simple loops on a 2-bridge sphere in an even Heckoid orbifold for a 2-bridge link to be homotopic in the orbifold. We also give a necessary and sufficient condition for an essential simple loop on a 2-bridge sphere in an even …

In this paper and its two sequels, we give a necessary and sufficient condition for two essential simple loops on a 2-bridge sphere in a 2-bridge link complement to be homotopic in the link complement. This paper treats the case when the 2-bridge link is a $(2,p)$-torus link, where more cases of homotopy arise, and its…

In this paper and its sequel, we give a necessary and sufficient condition for two essential simple loops on a 2-bridge sphere in an even Heckoid orbifold for a 2-bridge link to be homotopic in the orbifold. We also give a necessary and sufficient condition for an essential simple loop on a 2-bridge sphere in an even H…

This is the last of a series of papers which give a necessary and sufficient condition for two essential simple loops on a 2-bridge sphere in a 2-bridge link complement to be homotopic in the link complement. The first paper of the series treated the case of the 2-bridge torus links, and the second paper treated the ca…

We give a systematic construction of epimorphisms between 2-bridge link groups. Moreover, we show that 2-bridge links having such an epimorphism between their link groups are related by a map between the ambient spaces which only have a certain specific kind of singularity. We show applications of these epimorphisms to…

Riley "defined" the Heckoid groups for 2-bridge links as Kleinian groups, with nontrivial torsion, generated by two parabolic transformations, and he constructed an infinite family of epimorphisms from 2-bridge link groups onto Heckoid groups. In this paper, we make Riley's definition explicit, and give a systematic co…

In this paper, we show that any non-arithmetic hyperbolic $2$-bridge link complement admits no hidden symmetries. As a corollary, we conclude that a hyperbolic $2$-bridge link complement cannot irregularly cover a hyperbolic $3$-manifold. By combining this corollary with the work of Boileau and Weidmann, we obtain a ch…

This paper concerns the H(2)-unknotting numbers of links related to 2-bridge links. It consists of three parts. In the first part, we consider a necessary and sufficient condition for a 2-bridge link to have H(2)-unknotting number one. The second part concerns an explicit form of composite links with H(2)-unknotting nu…

In Part I of this series of papers, we made Riley's definition of Heckoid groups for 2-bridge links explicit, and gave a systematic construction of epimorphisms from 2-bridge link groups onto Heckoid groups, generalizing Riley's construction. In this paper, we give a complete characterization of upper-meridian-pair-pre…

We describe an algorithm for computing boundary slopes of 2-bridge links. As an example, we work out the slopes of the links obtained by 1/k surgery on one component of the Borromean rings. A table of all boundary slopes of all 2-bridge links with 10 or less crossings is also included.

We determine the Dehn surgeries on 2-bridge links, which yield reducible 3-manifolds. Further, we show the conditions that we obtain a torus or cable knot from one component of a 2-bridge link by a surgery on another component.

We find all 2-Bridge links up to 11 crossings and locate them in Thistlethwaite's link table. The splitting numbers of some links are calculated as a consequence of this identification.

Negami found an upper bound on the stick number $s(K)$ of a nontrivial knot $K$ in terms of the minimal crossing number $c(K)$ of the knot which is $s(K) \leq 2 c(K)$. Furthermore McCabe proved $s(K) \leq c(K) + 3$ for a $2$-bridge knot or link, except in the case of the unlink and the Hopf link. In this paper we const…

A formula for the Alexander polynomial of a 2-bridge knot or link given by Hartley and also by Minkus has a beautiful interpretation as a walk on the integers. We extend this to the 2-variable Alexander polynomial of a 2-bridge link, obtaining a formula that corresponds to a walk on the 2-dimensional integer lattice.

We discuss 3-manifolds which are cyclic coverings of the 3-sphere, branched over 2-bridge knots and links. Different descriptions of these manifolds are presented: polyhedral, Heegaard diagram, Dehn surgery and coloured graph constructions. Using these descriptions, we give presentations for their fundamental groups, w…

We compute q-holonomic formulas for the HOMFLY polynomials of 2-bridge links colored with one-column (or one-row) Young diagrams.

A diagonal surface in a link exterior M is a properly embedded, incompressible, boundary incompressible surface which furthermore has the same number of boundary components and same slope on each component of the boundary of M. We derive a formula for the boundary slope of a diagonal surface in the exterior of a 2-brid…

We give a variation of McShane's identity, which describes the cusp shape of a hyperbolic 2-bridge link in terms of the complex translation lengths of simple loops on the bridge sphere. We also explicitly determine the set of end invariants of $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$-characters of the once-punctured torus corresponding to t…

We describe the (P)SL(2,C) character varieties of all 2-bridge knots and the diagonal character varieties for all 2-bridge links in terms of a set of polynomials defined using Farey recursion.

In this paper we apply the twisted Alexander polynomial to study the fibering and genus detecting problems for oriented links. In particular we generalize a conjecture of Dunfield, Friedl and Jackson on the torsion polynomial of hyperbolic knots to hyperbolic links, and confirm it for an infinite family of hyperbolic 2…

The paper connects Legendrian links to cluster theory and exact Lagrangian fillings.

Paper develops geometry for Kleinian groups using Farey polynomials.

Study topological Iwasawa invariants for 3-sphere links, proving density results.

We simplify Thurston norm computation for 2-bridge link complements.

New proof for minimizing tunnel systems in satellite chain links.

The study calculates average crosscap numbers for 2-bridge knots.

In this paper we study the parabolic representations of 2-bridge links by finiding arc coloring vectors on the Conway diagram. The method we use is to convert the system of conjugation quandle equations to that of symplectic quandle equations. In this approach, we have an integer coefficient monic polynomial $P_K(u)$ f…

Following Riley's work, for each 2-bridge link $K(r)$ of slope $r\in\QQ$ and an integer or a half-integer $n$ greater than 1, we introduce the {\it Heckoid orbifold $\orbs(r;n)$} and the {\it Heckoid group $\Hecke(r;n)=π_1(\orbs(r;n))$ of index $n$ for $K(r)$}. When $n$ is an integer, $\orbs(r;n)$ is called an {\it eve…

Utilizing both twisting and writhing, we construct integral tangles with few sticks, leading to an efficient method for constructing polygonal 2-bridge links. Let L be a two bridge link with crossing number c, stick number s, and n tangles. It is shown that s is less than or equal to 2/3 c + 2n+3 . We also show that if…

The paper shows links can be colored with fewer colors than previously thought.

Paper defines Farey Recursive Functions and explores their properties.

Study of fibred faces of Thurston polyhedra for 2-component 2-bridge links

W. Thurston suggested a method for computing hyperbolic volume of hyperbolic 3-manifolds, based on a triangulation of the manifold. The method was implemented by J. Weeks in the program SnapPea, which produces a decimal approximation as a result. For hyperbolic 2-bridge links, we give formulae that allow one to find th…

This paper explores links from Thompson's group conjugacy classes.

We examine the conjecture, due to Champanerkar, Kofman, and Purcell that $\text{vol}(K) < 2 π\log \det (K)$ for alternating hyperbolic links, where $\text{vol}(K) = \text{vol}(S^3\backslash K)$ is the hyperbolic volume and $\det(K)$ is the determinant of $K$. We prove that the conjecture holds for 2-bridge links, alter…

Kuperberg introduced web spaces for some Lie algebras which are generalizations of the Kauffman bracket skein module on a disk with marked points. We derive some formulas for $A_1$ and $A_2$ clasped web spaces by graphical calculus using skein theory. These formulas are colored version of skein relations, twist formula…

We give an alternative proof to Agol's classification of parabolic generating pairs of non-free Kleinian groups generated by two parabolic transformations. As an application, we give a complete characterisation of epimorphims between $2$-bridge knot groups and a complete characterisation of degree one maps between the …

Solving tangle equations is deeply connected with studying enzyme action on DNA. The main goal of this paper is to solve the system of tangle equations $N(O+X_1)=b_1$ and $N(O+X_2)=b_2 \# b_3$, where $X_1$ and $X_2$ are rational tangles, and $b_i$ is a 2-bridge link, for $i=1,2,3$, with $b_2$ and $b_3$ nontrivial. We s…

Determines conditions for ribbon cobordisms between lens spaces.

We propose a method to compute complex volume of 2-bridge link complements. Our construction sheds light on a relationship between cluster variables with coefficients and canonical decompositions of link complements.

We will prove that, for a $2$ or $3$ component $L$-space link, $HFL^-$ is completely determined by the multi-variable Alexander polynomial of all the sub-links of $L$, as well as the pairwise linking numbers of all the components of $L$. We will also give some restrictions on the multi-variable Alexander polynomial of …

We consider vector fields on knot/link complements in $S^3$ which are transverse to the fibres of a fibration of the complement over a circle. We prove that a large class of fibred knots/links, including all non-torus fibred 2-bridge knots, has the following property: any vector field transverse to the fibres of the fi…

Knots are commonly found in molecular chains such as DNA and proteins, and they have been considered to be useful models for structural analysis of these molecules. One interested quantity is the minimum number of monomers necessary to realize a molecular knot. The minimum lattice length $\mbox{Len}(K)$ of a knot $K$ i…

We present a new and very concrete connection between cluster algebras and knot theory. This connection is being made via continued fractions and snake graphs. It is known that the class of 2-bridge knots and links is parametrized by continued fractions, and it has recently been shown that one can associate to each con…