arXiv research

L-space knots lack essential Conway spheres, proven with Floer theory.

This paper studies periodic and free periodic knots in alternating projections.

Using Hirasawa-Murasugi's classification of fibered Montesinos knots we classify the L-space Montesinos knots, providing further evidence towards a conjecture of Lidman-Moore that L-space knots have no essential Conway spheres. In the process, we classify the fibered Montesinos knots whose open books support the tight …

New method characterizes thin links via Conway spheres and tangle decompositions.

We give a counterexample to the Kawauchi conjecture on the Conway polynomial of achiral knots which asserts that the Conway polynomial $C(z)$ of an achiral knot satisfies the splitting property $C(z)=F(z)F(-z)$ for a polynomial $F(z)$ with integer coefficients. We show that the Bonahon-Siebenmann decomposition of an ac…

Suppose a link K in a 3-manifold M is in bridge position with respect to two different bridge surfaces P and Q, both of which are c-weakly incompressible in the complement of K. Then either P and Q can be properly isotoped to intersect in a nonempty collection of curves that are essential (including non-meridional) on …

For a knot K in S^3, let T(K) be the characteristic toric sub-orbifold of the orbifold (S^3,K) as defined by Bonahon and Siebenmann. If K has unknotting number one, we show that an unknotting arc for K can always be found which is disjoint from T(K), unless either K is an EM-knot (of Eudave-Munoz) or (S^3,K) contains a…

Study revisits Alexander-Conway and Kauffman bracket polynomials for pretzel links.

We show that essential punctured spheres in the complement of links with distance three bridge spheres have bounded complexity. We define the operation of tangle product, a generalization of both connected sum and Conway product. Finally, we use the bounded complexity of essential punctured spheres to show that the bri…

Standard position for surfaces extended to weakly generalized alternating links.

Paper characterizes isotopies and hyperbolicity of weaves using geodesics.

We study relations between the Alexander-Conway polynomial $\nabla_L$ and Milnor higher linking numbers of links from the point of view of finite-type (Vassiliev) invariants. We give a formula for the first non-vanishing coefficient of $\nabla_L$ of an m-component link L all of whose Milnor numbers $μ_{i_1... i_p}$ van…

New $4$-manifolds without $1$- and $3$-handles are created from knots.

In~\cite{Kim} the author generalized the Conway algebra and constructed the invariant valued in the generalized Conway algebra defined by applying two skein relations to crossings, which is called a generalized Conway type invariant. The generalized Conway type invariant is a generalization of Homflypt polynomial. In t…

A simplified proof of the Alexander-Conway polynomial exists.

This paper generalizes octahedral decomposition to links in thickened surfaces.

We consider an algebra of (classical or virtual) tangles over an ordered circuit operad and introduce Conway-type invariants of tangles which respect this algebraic structure. The resulting invariants contain both the coefficients of the Conway polynomial and the Milnor's mu-invariants of string links as partial cases.…

The paper characterizes Conway-Coxeter friezes using rational links.

We construct an infinite collection of knots with the property that any knot in this family has $n$-string essential tangle decompositions for arbitrarily high $n$.

Let Πbe a link projection in S^2. John Conway and later Francis Bonahon and Larry Siebenmann undertook to split $Π$ into canonical pieces. These pieces received different names: basic or polyhedral diagrams on one hand, rational, algebraic, bretzel, arborescent diagrams on the other hand. This paper proposes a thorough…

Proves a mod 4 version of Kawauchi's conjecture for amphicheiral knots.

In the present paper, we build a bridge between Conway-Coxeter friezes and rational tangles through the Kauffman bracket polynomials. One can compute a Kauffman bracket polynomials attached to rational links by using Conway-Coxeter friezes. As an application one can give a complete invariant on Conway-Coxeter friezes o…

We give a closed formula for the Conway function of a splice in terms of the Conway function of its splice components. As corollaries, we refine and generalize results of Seifert, Torres, and Sumners-Woods.

The study finds infinite meridional essential surfaces in hyperbolic knot exteriors of various genera.

The Conway knot can't be smoothly tied to any other knot an infinite number of times.

We give a geometric construction of the multivariable Conway potential function for colored links. In the case of a single color, it is Kauffman's definition of the Conway polynomial in terms of a Seifert matrix.

The Conway potential function (CPF) for colored links is a convenient version of the multi-variable Alexander-Conway polynomial. We give a skein characterization of CPF, much simpler than the one by Murakami. In particular, Conway's `smoothing of crossings' is not in the axioms. The proof uses a reduction scheme in a t…

We obtain bounds on hyperbolic volume for periodic links and Conway sums of alternating tangles. For links that are Conway sums we also bound the hyperbolic volume in terms of the coefficients of the Jones polynomial.

Khovanov homology invariant under Conway mutation.

Lisa Piccirillo solved the mystery of the Conway knot's sliceness.

In this chapter (Chapter III) we introduce the concept of Conway algebras (the notion related to entropic magmas) and describe invariants of links yielded by (partial) Conway algebras (including the Homflypt polynomial and signatures). We present, in detail, a proof (following the original Przytycki-Traczyk 1984 proof)…

Families of alternating knots (links) and tangles are studied using as building block the conway defined as the twisting of two strands. The regular representation of knots assumes the projection has the minimal number of overpassings, and the minimal number of conways. The continued fraction associated to rational kno…

Paper defines half-Conway polynomial and computes it for knots up to 12 crossings.

Two knot families meet cosmetic surgery conjecture.

Extends Benard-Conway invariant to all two-component links.

Simplified proof for a theorem about graphs.

Study proves nontrivial knots can't undergo cosmetic surgeries.

In 1983, Conway and Gordon proved that for every spatial complete graph on six vertices, the sum of the linking numbers over all of the constituent two-component links is odd, and that for every spatial complete graph on seven vertices, the sum of the Arf invariants over all of the Hamiltonian knots is odd. In 2009, th…

New theorem shows every integer can be represented by knot summation.

We describe the Polyak-Viro arrow diagram formulas for the coefficients of the Conway polynomial. As a consequence, we obtain the Conway polynomial as a state sum over some subsets of the crossings of the knot diagram. It turns out to be a simplification of a special case of Jaeger's state model for the HOMFLY polynomi…

A string link S can be closed in a canonical way to produce an ordinary closed link L. We also consider a twisted closing which produces a knot K. We give a formula for the Conway polynomial of L as a product of the Conway polynomial of K times a power series whose coefficients are given as explicit functions of the Mi…

The purpose of this paper is to present a certain combinatorial method of constructing invariants of isotopy classes of oriented tame links. This arises as a generalization of the known polynomial invariants of Conway and Jones. These invariants have one striking common feature. If L+, L- and L0 are diagrams of oriente…

John Conway created pairs of domains that sound the same for a special kind of music.

Empirical evidence suggests link polynomials can detect causality in spacetimes.

Formula found for a specific knot's A-polynomial.

We exhibit relations between van Kampen-Flores, Conway-Gordon-Sachs and Radon theorems, by presenting direct proofs of some implications between them. The key idea is an interesting relation between the van Kampen and the Conway-Gordon-Sachs numbers for restrictions of a map of $(d+2)$-simplex to $\mathbb R^d$ to the $…

We show two results about the Conway potential function which is known as the normalized multivariable Alexander polynomial. We first show that the Conway potential function introduced by Kauffman in "Formal Knot Theory" is indeed a link invariant. Next we show that Kauffman's potential function equals Hartley's potent…

In the present paper, we will show that for any integer n>0 there are infinitely many twisted torus knots with n-string essential tangle decompositions.