arXiv research

Maximal rank Coxeter quotients found for 1.7M knots up to 16 crossings.

The paper explores meridional ranks of knotted surfaces and welded knots, proving equalities and relationships.

Adding an unknot to any link equals its bridge number and meridional rank.

We prove the meridional rank conjecture for twisted links and arborescent links associated to bipartite trees with even weights. These links are substantial generalizations of pretzels and two-bridge links, respectively. Lower bounds on meridional rank are obtained via Coxeter quotients of the groups of link complement…

The study proves a conjecture about arborescent links with many twigs.

Whitehead doubles have matching meridional rank and bridge number.

We prove that links with meridional rank 3 whose 2-fold branched covers are graph manifolds are 3-bridge links. This gives a partial answer to a question by S. Cappell and J. Shaneson on the relation between the bridge numbers and meridional ranks of links. To prove this, we also show that the meridional rank of any sa…

We define the {\it Wirtinger number} of a link, an invariant closely related to the meridional rank. The Wirtinger number is the minimum number of generators of the fundamental group of the link complement over all meridional presentations in which every relation is an iterated Wirtinger relation arising in a diagram. …

We prove for a large class of knots that the meridional rank coincides with the bridge number. This class contains all knots whose exterior is a graph manifold. This gives a partial answer to a question of S. Cappell and J. Shaneson, see problem 1.11 on Kirby's list.

We define a metric filtration of the Gordian graph by an infinite family of 1-dense subgraphs. The n-th subgraph of this family is generated by all knots whose fundamental groups surject to a symmetric group with parameter at least n, where all meridians are mapped to transpositions. Incidentally, we verify the Meridio…

We show that, for any integer $n\ge 3$, there is a prime knot $k$ such that (1) $k$ is not meridionally primitive, and (2) for every $m$-bridge knot $k'$ with $m\leq n$, the tunnel numbers satisfy $t(k\# k')\le t(k)$. This gives counterexamples to a conjecture of Morimoto and Moriah on tunnel number under connected sum…

We study certain linear representations of the knot group that induce augmentations of knot contact homology. This perspective on augmentations enhances our understanding of the relationship between the augmentation polynomial and the A-polynomial of the knot. For example, we show that for 2-bridge knots the polynomial…

The study bounds exceptional surgeries for hyperbolic knots.

The study finds infinite knot exteriors with meridional surfaces of any genus and boundary components.

Given a knot $K$ in $S^3$, a question raised by Cappell and Shaneson asks if the meridional rank of $K$ equals the bridge number of $K$. Using augmentations in knot contact homology we consider the persistence of equality between these two invariants under satellite operations on $K$ with a braid pattern. In particular…

We determine all (1,1)-knots which admit an essential meridional surface, namely, we give a construction which produces (1,1)-knots having essential meridional surfaces, and show that if a (1,1)-knot admits an essential meridional surface then it comes from the given construction.

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

Study shows links with unbounded annular Khovanov gradings but bounded Floer gradings.

We show the existence of infinitely many prime knots each of which having in their complements meridional essential surfaces with two boundary components and arbitrarily high genus.

Using Gauss diagrams, one can define the virtual bridge number ${\rm vb}(K)$ and the welded bridge number ${\rm wb}(K),$ invariants of virtual and welded knots with ${\rm wb}(K) \leq {\rm vb}(K).$ If $K$ is a classical knot, Chernov and Manturov showed that ${\rm vb}(K) = {\rm br}(K),$ the bridge number as a classical …

Study tangle equations linking enzyme actions to knot theory.

For a knot K and its knot Floer complex CFK^-(K), we introduce an algorithm to compute the bordered Floer bimodule of the complement of the knot and its meridian. The grading of the module computes spin^c-summands of a meridional knot in the large Dehn surgery manifold, which can be also extended to arbitrary framing n…

We prove that in the complement of a highly twisted link, all closed, essential, meridionally incompressible surfaces must have high genus. The genus bound is proportional to the number of crossings per twist region. A similar result holds for surfaces with meridional boundary: such a surface either has large negative …

We show that for each pair of positive integers g and n, there are infinitely many tunnel number one knots, whose exteriors contain an essential meridional surface of genus g, and with 2n boundary components. We also show that for each positive integer n, there are tunnel number one knots whose exteriors contain n disj…

Analytic proof for minimal rank Sard conjecture.

We give a description of all (1,2)-knots in S^3 which admit a closed meridionally incompressible surface of genus 2 in their complement. That is, we give several constructions of (1,2)-knots having a meridionally incompressible surface of genus 2, and then show that any such surface for a (1,2)-knot must come from one …

We extend the notion of thin multiple Heegaard splittings of a link in a 3-manifold to take into consideration not only compressing disks but also cut-disks for the Heegaard surfaces. We prove that if H is a c-strongly compressible bridge surface for a link K contained in a closed orientable irreducible 3-manifold M th…

New evidence refutes old conjectures about knot homology ranks, suggesting new congruences.

Study ramification in knot groups through finite covers and their quotients.

We introduce \textcolor{red}{general} new techniques for computing the geometric index of a link $L$ in the interior of a solid torus $T$. These techniques simplify and unify previous ad hoc methods used to compute the geometric index in specific examples \textcolor{red}{ and allow the simple computation of geometric i…

The paper disproves a generalized toral rank conjecture with various counter-examples.

Proves effective Chen ranks conjecture for Koszul modules.

If a tangle, K, in the 3-ball has no planar, meridional, essential surfaces in its exterior then thin position for K has no thin levels.

We study the structure underlying Ng's conjecture, which relates the degree $0$ abelian knot contact homology of a knot $K$ to the coordinate ring of the $SL_2(\mathbf{C})$-character variety $X(Σ_2 K)$ of the $2$-fold branched cover of the $3$-sphere branched along $K$. Our approach is based on the study of (meridional…

Confirming a conjecture, new CAT(0) spaces of higher rank are rigid.

T. Kobayashi conjectured in the 36th Geometry Symposium in Japan (1989) that a homogeneous space G/H of reductive type does not admit a compact Clifford-Klein form if rank G - rank K < rank H - rank K_H. We solve this conjecture affirmatively. We apply a cohomological obstruction to the existence of compact Clifford-Kl…

Link's sphere number equals its bridge number.

Study slopes in 3-manifolds, proving conjectures about knots.

Proves Sard conjecture for specific distributions, controlling divergence of vector fields.

Any 2-bridge knot in the 3-sphere has a bridge sphere from which any other bridge surface can be obtained by stabilization, meridional stabilization, perturbation and proper isotopy.

Study on rank 2 Higgs bundles on 5-punctured sphere, proving $P=W$ conjecture in lowest degree.

The paper verifies a conjecture about the index of symmetric spaces.

New findings on $L$-spaces and taut foliations in hyperbolic links.

We examine geometric properties of a knot J that are unchanged by taking a (p,q)-cable K of J. Specifically, we relate w(K) to w(J), where w(K) is the width of K in the sense of Gabai. We use this information to demonstrate that thin position is a minimal bridge position of J if and only if the same is true for K, and …

New examples of sub-Riemannian structures satisfying Minimizing Sard conjecture found.

The Besson-Courtois-Gallot theorem is proven for noncompact finite volume Riemannian manifolds. In particular, no bounded geometry assumptions are made. This proves the minimal entropy conjecture for nonuniform rank one lattices.

Extended dual Coxeter and Artin groups theory to rank-three systems.

This paper confirms Singer's conjecture for rank 4 in specific generic degrees.