arXiv research

New findings on knots that are both topologically and rationally slice.

New knots show linear independence in slice concordance.

New 4-manifold accounts for rationally slice knots.

Local knots can't bound smaller surfaces in rational homology 3-spheres.

Lower bounds on rational slice genus using Heegaard Floer invariants.

New knots bound rational homology balls, using Alexander polynomials.

We prove that certain fibered, $-$amphicheiral knots are rationally slice. Moreover, we show that the concordance invariants $ν^+$ and $Υ(t)$ from Heegaard Floer homology vanish for a class of knots that includes rationally slice knots.

New rational band moves simplify knot classification.

Every negative amphichiral knot is rationally slice.

The paper proves that rational concordance of double twist knots is reciprocal.

We give a new geometric obstruction to the iterated Bing double of a knot being a slice link: for n>1 the (n+1)-st iterated Bing double of a knot is rationally slice if and only if the n-th iterated Bing double of the knot is rationally slice. The main technique of the proof is a covering link construction simplifying …

The study classifies $χ-$slice pretzel links and Seifert fiber spaces.

New knots not slice in rational 4-balls found.

We construct an infinite family of smoothly slice knots that we prove are topologically doubly slice. Using the correction terms coming from Heegaard Floer homology, we show that none of these knots is smoothly doubly slice. We use these knots to show that the subgroup of the double concordance group consisting of smoo…

We give a necessary, and in some cases sufficient, condition for sliceness inside the family of pretzel knots $P (p_1,...,p_n)$ with one $p_i$ even. The three stranded case yields two interesting families of examples: the first consists of knots for which the non-sliceness is detected by the Alexander polynomial while …

New 3-manifolds bound rational 4-balls through specific operations.

Research classifies knots based on sliceness and amphichirality.

New invariant detects infinite order cabled knots.

Fintushel and Stern showed that the Brieskorn sphere $Σ(2,3,7)$ bounds a rational homology ball, while its non-trivial Rokhlin invariant obstructs it from bounding an integral homology ball. It is known that their argument can be modified to show that the figure-eight knot is rationally slice, and we use this fact to p…

New knots found that are 4-genus minimal.

We apply Donaldson's theorem on the intersection forms of definite 4--manifolds to characterize the lens spaces which smoothly bound rational homology 4--dimensional balls. Our result implies, in particular, that every smoothly slice 2--bridge knot is ribbon, proving the ribbon conjecture for 2--bridge knots.

Let C_T be the subgroup of the smooth knot concordance group generated by topologically slice knots and let C_D be the subgroup generated by knots with trivial Alexander polynomial. We prove the quotient C_T/C_D is infinitely generated, and uncover similar structure in the 3-dimensional rational spin bordism group. Our…

Determines surgeries on chain links bounding rational homology balls using lattice-theoretic methods.

New examples show non-locally-flat PL-disk bounds in rational homology balls but not in integer homology balls.

The paper reconfirms a lower bound on rational genus using Heegaard Floer homology.

Motivated by a result of L.P. Roberts on rational blow-downs in Heegaard-Floer homology, we study such operations along 3-manifolds that arise as branched double covers of $S^{3}$ along several non-alternating, slice knots.

In this note we study the Seifert rational homology spheres with two complementary legs, i.e. with a pair of invariants whose fractions add up to one. We give a complete classification of the Seifert manifolds with 3 exceptional fibers and two complementary legs which bound rational homology balls. The result translate…

The operation of (untwisted) Whitehead doubling trivializes the Alexander module of a knot (and consequently, all known abelian invariants), and converts knots to topologically slice ones. In this note we show that Whitehead doubling does not trivialize the rational function that equals to the 2-loop part of the Kontse…

For any rational homology 3-sphere and one of its spin^{c}-structures, Ozsvath and Szabo defined a topological invariant, called d-invariant. Given a knot in the 3-sphere, the d-invariants associated with the prime-power-fold branched covers of the knot, obstruct the smooth sliceness of the knot. These invariants bear …

We study two homomorphisms to the rational homology sphere group. If $ψ$ denotes the inclusion homomorphism from the integral homology sphere group, then using work of Lisca we show that the image of $ψ$ intersects trivially with the subgroup of the rational homology sphere group generated by lens spaces. As corollarie…

We consider a homology sphere $M_n(K_1,K_2)$ presented by two knots $K_1,K_2$ with linking number 1 and framing $(0,n)$. We call the manifold {\it Matsumoto's manifold}. We show that there exists no contractible bound of $M_n(T_{2,3},K_2)$ if $n<2τ(K_2)$ holds. We also give a formula of Ozsváth-Szabó's $τ$-invariant as…

In his pioneering work from 1969, Jerry Levine introduced a complete set of invariants of algebraic concordance of knots. The evaluation of these invariants requires a factorization of the Alexander polynomial of the knot, and is therefore in practice often hard to realize. We thus propose the study of an alternative s…

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 …

Let $LHT$ be a left handed trefoil knot and $K$ be any knot. We define $M_n(K)$ to be the homology $3$-sphere which is represented by a simple link of $LHT$ and $LHT \sharp K$ with framings $0$ and $n$ respectively. Starting with this link, we construct homotopy $K3$ and spin rational homology $K3$ surfaces containing …

Study on $r-$shake slice knots and proves 0-shake slice knots are slice.

Proves certain knots are slice without shaking.

New invariants from framed instanton homology for knot concordance.

In [HT], two of us constructed a closed oriented 4-dimensional manifold with fundamental group $\Z$ that does not split off $S^1\times S^3$. In this note we show that this 4-manifold, and various others derived from it, do not admit smooth structures. Moreover, we find an infinite family of 4-manifolds with exactly the…

This paper extends knot invariants using instantons to study torus knot groups.

Proves a special knot type is slice.

Khovanov homology shows (4,5) torus knot is a summand in its concordance class.

New example shows figure eight knot not smoothly concordant but homology cobordant.

Let S^3_r(K) be the oriented 3--manifold obtained by rational r-surgery on a knot K in S^3. Using the contact Ozsvath-Szabo invariants we prove, for a class of knots K containing all the algebraic knots, that S^3_r(K) carries positive, tight contact structures for every r not= 2g_s(K)-1, where g_s(K) is the slice genus…

New knots found with tough, unsliceable discs.

We show that if the connected sum of two knots with coprime Alexander polynomials is doubly slice, then the Ozsváth-Szabó correction terms as smooth double sliceness obstructions vanish for both knots. Recently, Jeffrey Meier gave smoothly slice knots that are topologically doubly slice, but not smoothly doubly slice. …

A knot is said to be slice if it bounds a smooth properly embedded disk in the 4-ball. We demonstrate that the Conway knot, 11n34 in the Rolfsen tables, is not slice. This completes the classification of slice knots under 13 crossings, and gives the first example of a non-slice knot which is both topologically slice an…

Defines slice depth for 2-knots and sets upper bounds for specific knots.

In this work, it is shown that a simply-connected, rationally-elliptic torus orbifold is equivariantly rationally homotopy equivalent to the quotient of a product of spheres by an almost-free, linear torus action, where this torus has rank equal to the number of odd-dimensional spherical factors in the product. As an a…