arXiv research

Virtual knots can be transformed by $2k$-moves, affecting their writhes.

The $Ξ$-move is a local move generated by forbidden moves in virtual knot theory. This move was introduced by Taniguchi and the second author, who showed that it characterizes the odd writhe of virtual knots, which is a fundamental invariant defined by Kauffman. In this paper, we extend this result by classifying $2$-c…

The paper classifies virtual links using the arc shift operation.

We define a homology theory of virtual links built out of the direct sum of the standard Khovanov complex with itself, motivating the name doubled Khovanov homology. We demonstrate that it can be used to show that some virtual links are non-classical, and that it yields a condition on a virtual knot being the connect s…

A natural oriented (2k+2)-chain in CP^{2k+1} with boundary twice RP^{2k+1}, its complex shade, is constructed. Via intersection numbers with the shade, a new invariant, the shade number of k-dimensional subvarieties with normal vector fields along their real part, is introduced. For an even-dimensional real variety, th…

Study on typical knots and links using grid diagrams, focusing on size, components, and writhe.

We define a family of virtual knots generalizing the classical twist knots. We develop a recursive formula for the Alexander polynomial $Δ_0$ (as defined by Silver and Williams) of these virtual twist knots. These results are applied to provide evidence for a conjecture that the odd writhe of a virtual knot can be obta…

In this paper we give two new criteria of detecting the checkerboard colorability of virtual links by using odd writhe and arrow polynomial of virtual links, respectively. By applying new criteria, we prove that 6 virtual knots are not checkerboard colorable, leaving only one virtual knot whose checkerboard colorabilit…

Introduce a two-variable parity polynomial for virtual knotoids

We find bounds on the difference between the writhing number of a smooth curve, and the writhing number of a polygon inscribed within. The proof is based on an extension of Fuller's difference of writhe formula to the case of polygonal curves. The results establish error bounds useful in the computation of writhe.

In this paper we construct new invariants of knotoids including the odd writhe, the parity bracket polynomial, the affine index polynomial and the arrow polynomial, and give an introduction to the theory of virtual knotoids. The invariants in this paper are defined for classical knotoids in analogy to corresponding inv…

Study shows space writhe closely correlates with knot signature in polymers.

Virtual knots with same writhe polynomial have equivalent intersection graphs.

Extend writhe polynomial from virtual knots to multi-virtual knots

In this note we give a new lower bound on the virtual crossing number via the writhe polynomial, which refines a result of B. Mellor. The proof is based on a new interpretation of the writhe polynomial. The characterization of the writhe polynomial is also discussed.

In this paper, we define some polynomial invariants for virtual knots and links. In the first part we use Manturov's parity axioms to obtain a new polynomial invariant of virtual knots. This invariant can be regarded as a generalization of the odd writhe polynomial defined by the first author. The relation between this…

Study quantizes ropelength and writhe of 12-crossing knots.

In this paper we introduce a new invariant of virtual knots and links that is non-trivial for infinitely many virtuals, but is trivial on classical knots and links. The invariant is initially be expressed in terms of a relative of the bracket polynomial and then extracted from this polynomial in terms of its exponents,…

We introduce and study the writhe of a permutation, a circular variant of the well-known inversion number. This simple permutation statistics has several interpretations, which lead to some interesting properties. For a permutation sampled uniformly at random, we study the asymptotics of the writhe, and obtain a non-Ga…

We give a new interpretation of the Alexander polynomial $Δ_0$ for virtual knots due to Sawollek and Silver and Williams, and use it to show that, for any virtual knot, $Δ_0$ determines the writhe polynomial of Cheng and Gao (equivalently, Kauffman's affine index polynomial). We also use it to define a second-order wri…

We present an alternative local definition of the writhe of a self-avoiding closed loop which differs from the traditional non-local definition by an integer. When studying dynamics this difference is immaterial. We employ a formula due to Aldinger, Klapper and Tabor for the change in writhe and propose a set of local,…

A weak chord index $Ind'$ is constructed for self crossing points of virtual links. Then a new writhe polynomial $W$ of virtual links is defined by using $Ind'$. $W$ is a generalization of writhe polynomial defined in [6]. Based on $W$, three invariants of virtual links are constructed. These invariants can be used to …

The paper introduces a test to distinguish spatial graphs based on their knot diagrams.

We obtain explicit, isometry-invariant integral formulas for twisting, writhing and helicity, and prove the theorem LINK = TWIST + WRITHE on the 3-sphere and in hyperbolic 3-space. We then use these results to derive upper bounds for the helicity of vector fields and lower bounds for the first eigenvalue of the curl op…

We give a new proof of an old theorem by Banchoff and White 1975 that claims that the writhe of a knot is conformally invariant.

Study Vassiliev invariants and periodic orbits of Axiom A flows.

We study the variation of the Tait number of a closed space curve according to its different projections. The results are used to compute the writhe of a knot, leading to a closed formula in case of polygonal curves.

The writhe polynomial is a fundamental invariant of an oriented virtual knot. We introduce a kind of local moves for oriented virtual knots called shell moves. The first aim of this paper is to prove that two oriented virtual knots have the same writhe polynomial if and only if they are related by a finite sequence of …

New invariants derived from Seifert graphs help distinguish alternating links.

Random walks and polygons are used to model polymers. In this paper we consider the extension of writhe, self-linking number and linking number to open chains. We then study the average writhe, self-linking and linking number of random walks and polygons over the space of configurations as a function of their length. W…

In order to model entanglements of polymers in a confined region, we consider the linking numbers and writhes of cycles in random linear embeddings of complete graphs in a cube. Our main results are that for a random linear embedding of $K_n$ in a cube, the mean sum of squared linking numbers and the mean sum of square…

We present new computations of tight shapes obtained using the constrained gradient descent code RIDGERUNNER for 544 composite knots with 12 and fewer crossings, expanding our dataset to 943 knots and links. We use the new data set to analyze two outstanding conjectures about tight knots, namely that the ropelengths of…

In this paper we study rational real algebraic knots in $\R P^3$. We show that two real algebraic knots of degree $\leq5$ are rigidly isotopic if and only if their degrees and encomplexed writhes are equal. We also show that any irreducible smooth knot which admits a plane projection with less than or equal to four cro…

A detailed version of preprint "Self-linking number of a real algebraic link" by the same author, alg-geom/9410030. For a nonsingular real algebraic curve in 3-dimensional projective space or 3-sphere, a new integer-valued characteristic is introduced. It is invariant under rigid isotopy and multiplied by -1 under mirr…

The inclusion of the space of all knots of a prescribed writhe in a particular isotopy class into the space of all knots in that isotopy class is a weak homotopy equivalence.

In this work we describe a new invariant of virtual knots. We show that this transcendental function invariant generalizes several polynomial invariants of virtual knots, such as the writhe polynomial, the affine index polynomial and the zero polynomial.

We combine and extend the work of Alexander & Antman \cite{alexander.82} and Fuller \cite{fuller.71,fuller.78} to give a framework within which precise definitions can be given of topological and geometrical quantities characterising the contortion of open rods undergoing large deformations under end loading. We use th…

We introduce the 2-colour parity. It is a theory of parity for a large class of virtual links, defined using the interaction between orientations of the link components and a certain type of colouring. The 2-colour parity is an extension of the Gaussian parity, to which it reduces on virtual knots. We show that the 2-c…

In this paper we define and study flexible links and flexible isotopy in projective space. Flexible links are meant to capture the topological properties of real algebraic links. We classify all flexible links up to flexible isotopy using Ekholms interpretation of Viros encomplexed writhe.

Jones polynomial bounds and crossing numbers of knots.

Classical topological concepts are applied to understand high performance computing simulations of molecules writhing in three dimensional space. These simulations produce peta-bytes of floating point data, to describe 3 dimensional changes in molecular structure. A zero-th order analysis is achieved by viewing a compu…

In this paper we introduce the notion of an unknotting index for virtual knots. We give some examples of computation by using writhe invariants, and discuss a relationship between the unknotting index and the virtual knot module. In particular, we show that for any non-negative integer $n$ there exists a virtual knot w…

We compute two-term skein modules of framed oriented links in oriented 3-manifolds. They contain the self-writhe and total linking number invariants of framed oriented links in a universal way. The relations in a natural presentation of the skein module are interpreted as monodromies in the space of immersions from cir…

This paper applies knot theory to modern yo-yo play.

Quantization of the Teichmüller space of a punctured Riemann surface $S$ is an approach to $3$-dimensional quantum gravity, and is a prototypical example of quantization of cluster varieties. Any simple loop $γ$ in $S$ gives rise to a natural trace-of-monodromy function $\mathbb{I}(γ)$ on the Teichmüller space. For any…

In this first of two papers, we develop a steady-state version of classical electrodynamics on the 3-sphere and in hyperbolic 3-space, including an explicit formula for the vector-valued Green's operator, an explicit formula of Biot-Savart type for the magnetic field, and a corresponding Ampere's Law contained in Maxwe…

We establish a characterization of alternating links in terms of definite spanning surfaces. We apply it to obtain a new proof of Tait's conjecture that reduced alternating diagrams of the same link have the same crossing number and writhe. We also deduce a result of Banks and Hirasawa-Sakuma about Seifert surfaces for…

Utilizing both twisting and writhing, we construct integral tangles with few sticks, leading to an efficient method for constructing polygonal 2-bridge links. Let L be a two bridge link with crossing number c, stick number s, and n tangles. It is shown that s is less than or equal to 2/3 c + 2n+3 . We also show that if…