arXiv research

Paper refines generating function for 2-bridge knot groups.

The paper sets a lower bound on the crossing number of 2-bridge knots and answers a question about their epimorphism number.

Suppose that there exists an epimorphism from the knot group of a $2$-bridge knot $K$ onto that of another knot $K'$. In this paper, we study the relationship between their crossing numbers $c(K)$ and $c(K')$. Especially it is shown that $c(K)$ is greater than or equal to $3 c(K')$ and we estimate how many knot groups …

Continuous epimorphisms between certain mapping class groups are induced by homeomorphisms.

Study shows relationship between knot crosscap numbers and genera for 2-bridge knots.

In the literature of the study of knot group epimorphisms, the existence of an epimorphism between two given knot groups is mostly (if not always) shown by giving an epimorphism which preserves meridians. A natural question arises: is there an epimorphism preserving meridians whenever a knot group is a homomorphic imag…

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…

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…

New proof for surface groups using Reeb graphs and Morse functions.

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…

New methods reveal rare epimorphisms linking 3-manifold groups to free groups.

Study of projective Fraïssé limits of trees with confluent epimorphisms.

Extended symmetric unions extend properties of Alexander polynomials.

Let $K,K'$ be two-bridge knots of genus $n,k$ respectively. We show the necessary and sufficient condition of $n$ in terms of $k$ that there exists an epimorphism from the knot group of $K$ onto that of $K'$.

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.

Torsion and Betti numbers for knots are special cases of more general invariants associated to a finitely generated group G and epimorphism from G to the integers. The sequence of Betti numbers is always periodic; under mild hypotheses, the sequence of torsion numbers satisfies a linear homogeneous recurrence relation …

We discuss the concept of Galois structure and Galois epimorphism in a general setting. Namely, a Galois structure for an epimorphism $π\colon M\to B$ in some category ${\mathcal C}$ is the action of a group object that gives to $M$ the structure of principal homogeneous space in the relative category ${\mathcal C}_B$.

Study of symmetric unions of knots with new inequality and epimorphism results.

The paper studies submonoids of singular twisted virtual braids and their properties.

The study calculates braid indices for two-bridge knots and proves inequalities.

We present a method for computing the number of epimorphisms from a finitely-presented group G to a finite solvable group Γ, which generalizes a formula of Gäschutz. Key to this approach are the degree 1 and 2 cohomology groups of G, with certain twisted coefficients. As an application, we count low-index subgroups of …

For a closed surface $S$ with $χ(S)<0$, we show that the fixed subgroup of a family $\mathcal B$ of endomorphisms of $π_1(S)$ has $\rk \fix\mathcal B\leq \rk π_1(S)$. In particular, if $\mathcal B$ contains a non-epimorphic endomorphism, then $\rk \fix\mathcal B\leq \frac{1}{2} \rk π_1(S)$. We also show that geometric …

PD_3-groups split as HNN extensions, revealing homology class properties.

We show that there exist infinitely many examples of pairs of knots, K_1 and K_2, that have no epimorphism $π_1(S^3\setminus K_1) \to π_1(S^3\setminus K_2)$ preserving peripheral structure although their A-polynomials have the factorization $A_{K_2}(L,M) \mid A_{K_1}(L,M)$. Our construction accounts for most of the kno…

We consider the relations $\ge$ and $\ge_p$ on the collection of all knots, where $k \ge k'$ (respectively, $k \ge_p k'$) if there exists an epimorphism $πk \to πk'$ of knot groups (respectively, preserving peripheral systems). When $k$ is a torus knot, the relations coincide and $k'$ must also be a torus knot; we dete…

Let $f\colon M\to N$ be a proper map between two aspherical compact orientable 3-manifolds with empty or toroidal boundary. We assume that $N$ is not a closed graph-manifold. Suppose that $f$ induces an epimorphism on fundamental groups. We show that $f$ is homotopic to a homeomorphism if one of the following holds: ei…

The cut number of a manifold M, c(M), is the largest number of disjoint two-sided hypersurfaces in M which do not separate M. Equivalently, it is the largest rank of a free group being an epimorphic image of pi_1(M). We investigate the relations between the cut number and the first Betti number, b_1(M), of 3-manifolds …

Any knot group is the image of the group of a prime knot by a homomorphism that preserves peripheral structure. In fact, there are infinitely many such prime knots. A related partial order on knots is defined, and its properties are discussed.

In this short note we show the existence of an epimorphism between groups of $2$-bridge knots by means of an elementary argument using the Riley polynomial. As a corollary, we give a classification of $2$-bridge knots by Riley polynomials.

A knot is called minimal if its knot group admits epimorphisms onto the knot groups of only the trivial knot and itself. In this paper, we determine which two-bridge knot $\mathfrak{b}(p,q)$ is minimal where $q \leq 6$ or $p \leq 100$.

Study of projective frames and Desargues theorem in high-dimensional spaces.

We show that any parabolic generating pair of a genus-one hyperbolic 2-bridge knot group is equivalent to the upper or lower meridian pair. As an application, we obtain a complete classification of the epimorphisms from 2-bridge knot groups to genus-one hyperbolic 2-bridge knot groups.

A partial order on the set of prime knots can be defined by the existence of an epimorphism between knot groups. We prove that all the prime knots with up to $6$ crossings are minimal. We also show that each fibered knot with the irreducible Alexander polynomial is minimal.

We show that the set of the equivalence classes of multifoliate structures is in one-to-one correspondence with the set of equivalence classes of finite complete projective systems of vector space epimorphisms. After that we give the complete description of all product preserving bundle functors on the categories of mu…

Extends Kauffman's formula to 3-manifolds with markings.

Let $M$ be a smooth closed orientable surface and $F=F_{p,q,r}$ be the space of Morse functions on $M$ having exactly $p$ critical points of local minima, $q\ge1$ saddle critical points, and $r$ critical points of local maxima, moreover all the points are fixed. Let $F_f$ be the connected component of a function $f\in …

Simon's knot genus problem solved with 3-manifold groups.

In this article we study a partial ordering on knots in the 3-sphere where K_1 is greater than or equal to K_2 if there is an epimorphism from the knot group of K_1 onto the knot group of K_2 which preserves peripheral structure. If K_1 is a 2-bridge knot and K_1 > K_2, then it is known that K_2 must also be 2-bridge. …

We prove that a monomorphic functor $F:Comp\to Comp$ with finite supports is epimorphic, continuous, and its maximal $\emptyset$-modification $F^\circ$ preserves intersections. This implies that a monomorphic functor $F:Comp\to Comp$ of finite degree $deg F\le n$ preserves (finite-dimensional) compact ANR's if the spac…

Given a finitely presented group G and an epimorphism G to the group of integers Cochran and Harvey defined a sequence of integral invariants, which can be viewed as the degrees of higher--order Alexander polynomials. Cochran and Harvey showed that (up to a minor modification) this is a never decreasing sequence of num…

We address a conjecture that $π_1$-surjective maps between closed aspherical 3-manifolds having the same rank on $π_1$ must be of non-zero degree. The conjecture is proved for Seifert manifolds, which is used in constructing the first known example of minimum Haken manifold. Another motivation is to study epimorphisms …

In this paper we use character variety methods to study homomorphisms between the fundamental groups of 3-manifolds, in particular those induced by non-zero degree maps. A {\it knot manifold} is a compact, connected, irreducible, orientable 3-manifold whose boundary is an incompressible torus. A {\it virtual epimorphis…

Study proves equality of LS-category and cohomological dimension for specific group homomorphisms.

We introduce obstructions to the existence of a calibrated G_2-structure on a Lie algebra g of dimension seven, not necessarily nilpotent. In particular, we prove that if there is a Lie algebra epimorphism from g to a six-dimensional Lie algebra h with kernel contained in the center of g, then h has a symplectic form. …

This paper proves that every oriented non-disk Seifert surface $F$ for a knot $K$ in $S^3$ is smoothly concordant to a Seifert surface $F^{\prime}$ for a hyperbolic knot $K^{\prime}$ of arbitrarily large volume. This gives a new and simpler proof of the result of Friedl and of Kawauchi that every knot is $S$-equivalent…

Alternative proof classifies Kleinian groups with two parabolics.

A Schottky group in PSL(2, C) induces an open hyperbolic handlebody and its ideal boundary is a closed orientable surface S whose genus is equal to the rank of the Schottky group. This boundary surface is equipped with a (complex) projective structure and its holonomy representation is an epimorphism from pi_1(S) to th…

Let K be the kernel of an epimorphism G -> Z, where G is a finitely presented group. If K has infinitely many subgroups of index 2, 3, or 4, then it has uncountably many. Moreover, if K is the commutator subgroup of a classical knot group G, then any homomorphism from K onto the symmetric group S_2 lifts to a homomorph…