arXiv research

We prove that two links related by a surgery along a connected, strict graph clasper of degree n are C_n-equivalent, i.e, related by a sequence of surgeries along strict tree claspers of degree n.

We introduce the concept of `claspers,' which are surfaces in 3-manifolds with some additional structure on which surgery operations can be performed. Using claspers we define for each positive integer k an equivalence relation on links called `C_k-equivalence,' which is generated by surgery operations of a certain kin…

Study the kernel of surgery map restricted to 1-loop part of homology cylinders.

We study the 2-loop part of the rational Kontsevich integral of a knot in an integer homology sphere. We give a general formula which explains how the 2-loop part of the Kontsevich integral of a knot changes after surgery on a single clasper whose leaves are not linked to the knot. As an application, we relate this for…

This paper detects torsion elements in homology cylinder monoids.

We show that surgery on a connected clover (or clasper) with at least one loop preserves the concordance class of a knot. Surgery on a slightly more special class of clovers preserves invertible concordance. We also show that the converse is false. Similar results hold for clovers with at least two loops vs. S-equivale…

We give a purely topological definition of the perturbative quantum invariants of links and 3-manifolds associated with Chern-Simons field theory. Our definition is as close as possible to one given by Kontsevich. We will also establish some basic properties of these invariants, in particular that they are universally …

Link concordance and Whitney towers linked to Milnor invariants.

The study connects specific circle embeddings to 4-manifold diffeomorphisms.

This paper studies the rational homotopy groups of the group $\mathrm{Diff}(S^4)$ of self-diffeomorphisms of $S^4$ with the $C^\infty$-topology. We present a method to prove that there are many `exotic' non-trivial elements in $π_*\mathrm{Diff}(S^4)\otimes \mathbb{Q}$ parametrized by trivalent graphs. As a corollary of…

Recently Swatee Naik and Theodore Stanford proved that two S-equivalent knots are related by a finite sequence of doubled-delta moves on their knot diagrams. We show that classical S-equivalence is not sufficient to extend their result to ordered links. We define a new algebraic relation on Seifert matrices, called Str…

Theta graph diffeomorphism shows nontrivial mapping class of 4-sphere.

It has long been known that a Milnor invariant with no repeated index is an invariant of link homotopy. We show that Milnor's invariants with repeated indices are invariants not only of isotopy, but also of self C_k-moves. A self C_k-move is a natural generalization of link homotopy based on certain degree k clasper su…

Minor typographical errors fixed. Cochran constructed many links with Alexander module that of the unlink and some nonvanishing Milnor invariants, using as input commutators in a free group and as an invariant the longitudes of the links. We present a different and conjecturally complete construction, that uses element…

The paper classifies links up to link-homotopy using claspers.

In this note we reconsider a familiar result in Vassiliev knot theory - that the coefficients of the Alexander-Conway polynomial determine the top row of the Kontsevich integral - from the point of view of Kazuo Habiro's clasper theory. We observe that in this setting the calculation reflects the topology of the univer…

The purpose of the present paper is to introduce and explore two surprises that arise when we apply a standard procedure to study the number of finite type invariants of 3-manifolds introduced independently by M. Goussarov and K. Habiro based on surgery on claspers, Y-graphs or clovers, \cite{Gu,Ha,GGP}. One surprise i…

Algorithm calculates Seifert matrices for colored links.

New presentation of Goussarov-Habiro Lie algebra using primitive Feynman diagrams.

We study finite type invariants of nullhomologous knots in a closed 3-manifold $M$ defined in terms of certain descending filtration $\{\mathscr{K}_n(M)\}_{n\geq 0}$ of the vector space $\mathscr{K}(M)$ spanned by isotopy classes of nullhomologous knots in $M$. The filtration $\{\mathscr{K}_n(M)\}_{n \geq 0}$ is define…

We show that the Artin representation on concordance classes of string links induces a well-defined epimorphism modulo order n twisted Whitney tower concordance, and that the kernel of this map is generated by band sums of iterated Bing-doubles of any string knot with nonzero Arf invariant. We also continue J. Levine's…

We show that the map on components from the space of classical long knots to the n-th stage of its Goodwillie-Weiss embedding calculus tower is a map of monoids whose target is an abelian group and which is invariant under clasper surgery. We deduce that this map on components is a finite type-(n-1) knot invariant. We …

Complete classification of links up to specific moves.

In this paper, the easier methods of my thesis are applied to give a simple proof of a theorem of Goussarov. The theorem relates two possible notions of finite type equivalence of knots, links or string links, showing that the resulting filtrations are the same up to a degree shift by a factor of two. This is then appl…

Two links are link-homotopic if they are transformed into each other by a sequence of self-crossing changes and ambient isotopies. The link-homotopy classes of 4-component links were classified by Levine with enormous algebraic computations. We modify the results by using Habiro's clasper theory. The new classification…

Let S be a compact connected oriented surface, whose boundary is connected or empty. A homology cylinder over the surface S is a cobordism between S and itself, homologically equivalent to the cylinder over S. The Y-filtration on the monoid of homology cylinders over S is defined by clasper surgery. Using a functorial …

We prove that if n\ge1, then an (n+1)-component Brunnian link L in a connected, oriented 3-manifold is C_n-equivalent to an unlink. We also prove that if n\ge2, then L can not be distinguished from an unlink by any Goussarov-Vassiliev finite type invariant of degree<2n.

We show that the Casson knot invariant, linking number and Milnor's triple linking number, together with a certain 2-string link invariant $V_2$, are necessary and sufficient to express any string link Vassiliev invariant of order two. Explicit combinatorial formulas are given for these invariants. This result is appli…

Proves links can be simplified to trivial form in few changes, limiting Milnor's invariants.

We use Kirk's invariant of link maps $S^2\sqcup S^2\to S^4$ and its variations due to Koschorke and Kirk-Livingston to deduce results about classical links. Namely, we give a new proof of the Nakanishi-Ohyama classification of two-component links in $S^3$ up to $Δ$-link homotopy. We also prove its version for string li…

For an $n$-component link $L$, the Milnor's isotopy invariant is defined for each multi-index $I=i_1i_2...i_m (i_j\in\n)$. Here $m$ is called the length. Let $r(I)$ denote the maximam number of times that any index appears. It is known that Milnor invariants with $r=1$ are link-homotopy invariant. N. Habegger and X. S.…

Formula connects surgeries to Seiberg-Witten invariants.

Let K be a knot in the 3--sphere. An r-surgery on K is left-orderable if the resulting 3--manifold K(r) of the surgery has left-orderable fundamental group, and an r-surgery on K is called an L-space surgery if K(r) is an L-space. A conjecture of Boyer, Gordon and Watson says that non-reducing surgeries on K can be cla…

Study confirms contact cosmetic surgery for most knots, with exceptions.

Study cosmetic surgeries on knots in homology spheres using Casson-Walker invariant.

Cosmetic surgeries on pretzel knots are unique.

Study pochette surgery on 4-manifolds, focusing on 4-spheres.

New method proves cosmetic surgery conjecture for certain knots.

New Heegaard Floer homology findings block chirally cosmetic surgeries.

Round surgery diagrams represent 3-manifolds in $S^3$.

The study calculates and analyzes alternating surgeries for various knots.

The paper constructs homotopy 4-spheres using pochette surgery.

Contact round surgeries on $(\mathbb{S}^3,ξ_{st})$ help in constructing and understanding contact 3-manifolds.

This paper concerns the truly or purely cosmetic surgery conjecture. We give a survey on exceptional surgeries and cosmetic surgeries. We prove that the slope of an exceptional truly cosmetic surgery on a hyperbolic knot in $S^3$ must be $\pm 1$ and the surgery must be toroidal but not Seifert fibred. As consequence we…

Defines contact surgery distance and shows it's bounded by topological surgery distance by 5.

We show that all exceptional surgeries on hyperbolic alternating knots in the 3-sphere are integral surgeries.

A Seifert surgery is an integral surgery on a knot in S^3 producing a Seifert fiber space which may contain an exceptional fiber of index 0. The Seifert Surgery Network is a 1-dimensional complex whose vertices correspond to Seifert surgeries; its edges correspond to single twistings along "seiferters" or "annular pair…

New proof for a knot type not admitting certain surgeries.