arXiv research

We show that all nontrivial embeddings of planar graphs on the torus contain a nontrivial knot or a nonsplit link. This is equivalent to showing that no minimally knotted planar spatial graphs on the torus exist that contain neither a nontrivial knot nor a nonsplit link all of whose components are unknots.

Origami can create complex knots, with minimum creases defining a new knot invariant.

The paper introduces a new filtration for knot invariants and proves the existence of nontrivial knots.

We give examples of knots in a genus 2 handlebody which have nontrivial Dehn surgeries yielding handlebodies and show that these knots are not 1--bridge.

In this paper, we prove that $w(K) =4w(J)$, where $w(.)$ is the width of a knot and $K$ is the Whitehead double of a nontrivial knot $J$.

Study proves nontrivial knots can't undergo cosmetic surgeries.

It was asked by J.Birman, Williams, and L.Rudolph whether nontrivial Lorentz knots have always positive signature. Lorentz knots are examples of positive braids (in our convention they have all crossings negative so they are negative links). It was shown by L.Rudolph that positive braids have positive signature (if the…

Dunfield-Garoufalidis and Boyer-Zhang proved that the A-polynomial of a nontrivial knot in $S^{3}$ is nontrivial. In this paper, we use holonomy perturbations to prove the non-triviality of the A-polynomial for a nontrivial, null-homotopic knot in an irreducible 3-manifold. Also, we give a strong constraint on the A-po…

In this paper we present a sequence of link invariants, defined from twisted Alexander polynomials, and discuss their effectiveness in distinguish knots. In particular, we recast and extend by geometric means a recent result of Silver and Williams on the nontriviality of twisted Alexander polynomials for nontrivial kno…

Persistent elements are ubiquitous in knot groups, especially for hyperbolic knots.

We explore under what conditions one can obtain a nontrivial knot, given a collection of $n$ vectors. First, we show how to get a crossing from any 3 vectors equal in magnitude, by arbitrarily picking 2 vectors and identifying the sufficient and necessary criteria for picking a third vector that will guarantee a crossi…

Tanaka shows amphichiral symmetric unions of the unknot are trivial.

We determine when certain state cycles represent nontrivial Khovanov homology classes by analyzing features of the state graph. Using this method, we are able to produce hyperbolic knots with arbitrarily many diagonals containing nontrivial state cycle homology classes. This gives lower bounds on the Khovanov width of …

We show that the integer homology sphere obtained by splicing two nontrivial knot complements in integer homology sphere L-spaces has Heegaard Floer homology rank strictly greater than one. In particular, splicing the complements of nontrivial knots in the 3-sphere never produces an L-space. The proof uses bordered Flo…

The study eliminates infinite families of knots with nontrivial Alexander polynomials and improves unknotting number data.

Hempel has shown that the fundamental groups of knot complements are residually finite. This implies that every nontrivial knot must have a finite-sheeted, noncyclic cover. We give an explicit bound, $Φ(c)$, such that if $K$ is a nontrivial knot in the three-sphere with a diagram with $c$ crossings and a particularly s…

We consider the following question: when is the manifold obtained by gluing together two knot complements an $L$-space? Hedden and Levine proved that splicing 0-framed complements of nontrivial knots never produces an $L$-space. We extend this result to allow for arbitrary integer framings. We find that splicing two in…

If a knot is a nontrivial connected sum of positive torus knots, then it is not concordant to an L-space knot.

We investigate properties of spatial graphs on the standard torus. It is known that nontrivial embeddings of planar graphs in the torus contain a nontrivial knot or a nonsplit link due to [1],[2]. Building on this and using the chirality of torus knots and links [3],[4], we prove that nontrivial embeddings of simple 3-…

In this article, it is proved that the eigenvalue variety of the exterior of a nontrivial, non-Hopf, Brunnian link in $\mathbb{S}^{3}$ contains a nontrivial component of maximal dimension. This generalises, for Brunnian links, the nontriviality of the $A$-polynomial of a nontrivial knot in $\mathbb{S}^{3}$.

Although most knots are nonalternating, modern research in knot theory seems to focus on alternating knots. We consider here nonalternating knots and their properties. Specifically, we show certain classes of knots have nontrivial Jones polynomials.

Construct petal diagrams from simple braids to verify knot petal numbers.

This note gives a proof that the $A$-polynomial of any nontrivial knot in $S^3$ has nontrivial $M$-degree.

A partial order on prime knots can be defined by declaring $J\ge K$ if there exists an epimorphism from the knot group of $J$ onto the knot group of $K$. Suppose that $J$ is a 2-bridge knot that is strictly greater than $m$ distinct, nontrivial knots. In this paper we determine a lower bound on the crossing number of $…

By a recent result of Livingston, it is known that if a knot has a prime power branched cyclic cover that is not a homology sphere, then there is an infinite family of non-concordant knots having the same Seifert form as the knot. In this paper, we extend this result to the full extent. We show that if the knot has non…

We show that for any nontrivial knot $K$ and any natural number $n$ there is a diagram $D$ of $K$ such that the unknotting number of $D$ is greater than or equal to $n$. It is well known that twice the unknotting number of $K$ is less than or equal to the crossing number of $K$ minus one. We show that the equality hold…

In this paper, we compute the symplectic Floer homology of the figure eight knot. This provides first nontrivial knot with trivial symplectic Floer homology.

New knot invariants from biquandle arrow weights.

The group of any nontrivial torus knot, hyperbolic 2-bridge knot, or hyperbolic knot with unknotting number one contains infinitely many elements, none the automorphic image of another, such that each normally generates the group.

The stick index of a knot is the least number of line segments required to build the knot in space. We define two analogous 2-dimensional invariants, the planar stick index, which is the least number of line segments in the plane to build a projection, and the spherical stick index, which is the least number of great c…

New slopes identified for torus knots, improving previous results.

Study tunnel numbers of cable knots and their companions, proving new bounds and constructing examples.

There is an infinitely generated free subgroup of the smooth knot concordance group with the property that no nontrivial element in this subgroup can be represented by an alternating knot. This subgroup has the further property that every element is represented by a topologically slice knot.

The paper proves a criterion for L-space knots and their representations.

Classifies crossings in tangles on surfaces, finding no nontrivial indices.

Two knot families meet cosmetic surgery conjecture.

The Jones unknot conjecture states that the Jones polynomial distinguishes the unknot from nontrivial knots. We prove it for knots up to 23 crossings.

The study explores knots and manifolds, proving properties and non-left-orderable groups.

A knot in the 3-sphere is called an L--space knot if it admits a nontrivial Dehn surgery yielding an L--space. Like torus knots and Berge knots, many L--space knots admit also a Seifert fibered surgery. We give a concrete example of a hyperbolic, L-space knot which has no exceptional surgeries, in particular, no Seifer…

We construct a graph G such that any embedding of G into R^{3} contains a nonsplit link of two components, where at least one of the components is a nontrivial knot. Further, for any m < n we produce a graph H so that every embedding of H contains a nonsplit n component link, where at least m of the components are nont…

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…

The real cohomology of the space of imbeddings of S^1 into R^n, n>3, is studied by using configuration space integrals. Nontrivial classes are explicitly constructed. As a by-product, we prove the nontriviality of certain cycles of imbeddings obtained by blowing up transversal double points in immersions. These cohomol…

The paper classifies knot Floer complexes of low width, simplifying knot bases.

New proof shows certain 3D shapes can't be instanton L-spaces.

The paper shows conditions under which certain 4-manifolds have no smooth spines.

We establish a necessary and sufficient condition for a heptagonal knot to be figure-8 knot. The condition is described by a set of Radon partitions formed by vertices of the heptagon. In addition we relate this result to the number of nontrivial heptagonal knots in linear embeddings of the complete graph $K_7$ into $\…

We show that the proportion of hyperbolic knots among all of the prime knots of $n$ or fewer crossings does not converge to $1$ as $n$ approaches infinity. Moreover, we show that if $K$ is a nontrivial knot then the proportion of satellites of $K$ among all of the prime knots of $n$ or fewer crossings does not converge…

We produce infinite families of knots $\{K^i\}_{i\geq 1}$ for which the set of cables $\{K^i_{p,1}\}_{i,p\geq 1}$ is linearly independent in the knot concordance group. We arrange that these examples lie arbitrarily deep in the solvable and bipolar filtrations of the knot concordance group, denoted by $\{F_n\}$ and $\{…