arXiv research

We study concordance of virtual knots. Our main result is that a classical knot K is virtually slice if and only if it is classically slice. From this we deduce that the concordance group of classical knots embeds into the concordance group of long virtual knots.

Introduces slice knots and concordance, linking to exotic smooth structures.

Obstructs 2-torsion in rational knot concordance group.

This work shows non-abelian quotient groups in string link concordance.

New examples show satellite operations can expand the concordance group in topological knot theory.

New invariant detects infinite order cabled knots.

Study shows infinite-rank summand in homology concordance group of knots.

We define a new smooth concordance homomorphism based on the knot Floer complex and an associated concordance invariant, epsilon. As an application, we show that an infinite family of topologically slice knots are independent in the smooth concordance group.

Defines a measure of knot concordance using cobordism distance.

Concordance invariants of knots are derived from the instanton homology groups with local coefficients, as introduced in earlier work of the authors. These concordance invariants include a 1-parameter family of homomorphisms $f_{r}$, from the knot concordance group to the reals. Prima facie, these concordance invariant…

Classifies algebraic concordance for almost classical knots.

Study on knots, genera, and algebraic concordance groups.

For all n > 0 there is a homomorphism from the smooth concordance group of knots in dimension 2n + 1 to an algebraically defined group called the rational algebraic concordance group. This algebraic concordance group splits as a direct sum of groups indexed by polynomials. For n > 1 the homomorphism is injective. This …

Proves non-solvability of concordance groups using Milnor invariants.

The concordance group of algebraically slice knots is the subgroup of the classical knot concordance group formed by algebraically slice knots. Results of Casson and Gordon and of Jiang showed that this group contains in infinitely generated free (abelian) subgroup. Here it is shown that the concordance group of algebr…

New subgroup found in knot homology concordance group.

Satellite operators generate infinite rank subgroups in knot concordance.

Let K be a knot in the 3-sphere with 2-fold branched covering space M. If for some prime p congruent to 3 mod 4 the p-torsion in the first homology of M is cyclic with odd exponent, then K is of infinite order in the knot concordance group. As one application, recall that the n-twisted double of an arbitrary knot has o…

We prove that if the order of the first homology of the 2-fold branched cover of a knot K in the 3-sphere is given by pm where p is a prime congruent to 3 mod 4 and gcd(p,m) =1, then K is of infinite order in the knot concordance group. This provides an obstruction to classical knots being of order 4. In particular, th…

Knots can be ordered by ribbon concordance, solving a long-standing question.

This is survey about the classical knot concordance group, prepared for an upcoming handbook of knot theory. Topics include: the basic definitions of concordance; the theory of algebraic concordance as developed by Levine; the theory of Casson-Gordon invariants; applications of topological surgery as developed by Freed…

New infinite-rank summand found in knot concordance group.

Milnor's $\barμ$-invariants of links in the $3$-sphere $S^3$ vanish on any link concordant to a boundary link. In particular, they are trivial on any knot in $S^3$. Here we consider knots in thickened surfaces $Σ\times [0,1]$, where $Σ$ is closed and oriented. We construct new concordance invariants by adapting the Che…

New homomorphism from Khovanov homology for knot concordance.

The existence of topologically slice knots that are of infinite order in the knot concordance group followed from Freedman's work on topological surgery and Donaldson's gauge theoretic approach to 4-manifolds. Here, as an application of Ozsvath and Szabo's Heegaard-Floer theory, we show the existence of an infinite sub…

The concordance genus of a knot K is the minimum three-genus among all knots concordant to K. For prime knots of 10 or fewer crossings there have been three knots for which the concordance genus was unknown. Those three cases are now resolved. Two of the cases are settled using invariants of Levine's algebraic concorda…

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

New unoriented algebraic concordance group defined using mock Seifert matrices.

For each sequence of polynomials, P=(p_1(t),p_2(t),...), we define a characteristic series of groups, called the derived series localized at P. Given a knot K in S^3, such a sequence of polynomials arises naturally as the orders of certain submodules of the sequence of higher-order Alexander modules of K. These group s…

We show that for each Seifert form of an algebraically slice knot with nontrivial Alexander polynomial, there exists an infinite family of knots having the Seifert form such that the knots are linearly independent in the knot concordance group and not concordant to any knot with coprime Alexander polynomial. Key ingred…

We construct an infinite family of topologically slice knots that are not smoothly concordant to their reverses. More precisely, if T denotes the concordance group of topologically slice knots and R is the involution of T induced by string reversal, then T/Fix(R) contains an infinitely generated free subgroup. The resu…

We investigate the disparity between smooth and topological almost concordance of knots in general 3-manifolds Y. Almost concordance is defined by considering knots in Y modulo concordance in Yx[0,1] and the action of the concordance group of knots in the 3-sphere that ties in local knots. We prove that the trivial fre…

New knots not rationally concordant to their reverses found.

Defines a new homomorphism for strongly invertible knots, proving equivariant algebraic concordance.

Any knot in a solid torus, called a pattern or satellite operator, acts on knots in the 3-sphere via the satellite construction. We introduce a generalization of satellite operators which form a group (unlike traditional satellite operators), modulo a generalization of concordance. This group has an action on the set o…

Let $\widehat{\mathcal{C}}_{\mathbb{Z}}$ denote the group of knots in homology spheres that bound homology balls, modulo smooth concordance in homology cobordisms. Answering a question of Matsumoto, the second author previously showed that the natural map from the smooth knot concordance group $\mathcal{C}$ to $\wideha…

The knot Floer complex together with the associated concordance invariant epsilon can be used to define a filtration on the smooth concordance group. We show that the indexing set of this filtration contains the natural numbers cross the integers as an ordered subset.

Let $M_K$ be the 2-fold branched cover of a knot $K in$S^3$. If$H_1(M_K) = {\bf Z}_3 \oplus {\bf Z}_{3^{2i}} \oplus G$where 3 does not divide the order of$G$then$K$ is not of order 4 in the concordance group. This obstruction detects infinite new families of knots that represent elements of order 4 in the algebra…

New method detects sliceness of knots in a torus.

We discuss an infinite class of metabelian Von Neumann rho-invariants. Each one is a homomorphism from the monoid of knots to the real line. In general they are not well defined on the concordance group. Nonetheless, we show that they pass to well defined homomorphisms from the subgroup of the concordance group generat…

It is known that connected sums of positive torus knots are not concordant to $L$-space knots. Here we consider differences of torus knots. The main result states that the subgroup of the concordance group generated by two positive torus knots contains no nontrivial $L$-space knots other than the torus knots themselves…

Every classical knot is band-pass equivalent to the unknot or the trefoil. The band-pass class of a knot is a concordance invariant. Every ribbon knot, for example, is band-pass equivalent to the unknot. Here we introduce the long virtual knot concordance group $\mathscr{VC}$. It is shown that for every concordance cla…

We describe an action of the concordance group of knots in the three-sphere on concordances of knots in arbitrary 3-manifolds. As an application we define the notion of almost-concordance between knots. After some basic results, we prove the existence of non-trivial almost-concordance classes in all non-abelian 3-manif…

New knots show linear independence in slice concordance.

New invariants help study satellite knots and their concordance.

We define an algebraic group comprising symmetric chain complexes which captures the first two stages of the Cochran-Orr-Teichner solvable filtration of the knot concordance group in a single invariant. To achieve this we impose additional structure on each chain complex which puts extra control on the fundamental grou…

We define an algebraic group comprising symmetric chain complexes which captures the first two stages of the Cochran-Orr-Teichner solvable filtration of the knot concordance group in a single obstruction. To achieve this we impose additional structure on each chain complex which puts extra control on the fundamental gr…

New invariant defined for unoriented knots, proving no factorization through topological concordance.