arXiv research

Explicit matrix presentations of Blanchfield pairings and twisted pairings for torus knots.

We prove a decomposition formula for twisted Blanchfield pairings of 3-manifolds. As an application we show that the twisted Blanchfield pairing of a 3-manifold obtained from a 3-manifold Y with a representation $φ: Z[π_1(Y)] \to R$, infected by a knot J along a curve $η$ with $φ(η) \neq 1$, splits orthogonally as the …

Study shows knots with similar Blanchfield forms can be homotopy ribbon concordant.

We define the twisted Blanchfield pairing of a symmetric triad of chain complexes over a group ring Z[G], together with a unitary representation of G over an Ore domain with involution. We prove that the pairing is sesquilinear, and we prove that it is hermitian and nonsingular under certain extra conditions. A twisted…

The paper calculates knot invariants using Blanchfield forms and obstructs sliceness.

We give a formula for the duality structure of the 3-manifold obtained by doing zero-framed surgery along a knot in the 3-sphere, starting from a diagram of the knot. We then use this to give a combinatorial algorithm for computing the twisted Blanchfield pairing of such 3-manifolds. With the twisting defined by Casson…

This paper studies twisted signature invariants and twisted linking forms, with a view towards obstructions to knot concordance. Given a knot $K$ and a representation $ρ$ of the knot group, we define a twisted signature function $σ_{K,ρ} \colon S^1 \to \mathbb{Z}$. This invariant satisfies many of the same algebraic pr…

The paper studies twisted signature invariants of fibered knots and 3-manifolds.

In 1976, Rudolph asked whether algebraic knots are linearly independent in the knot concordance group. This paper uses twisted Blanchfield pairings to answer this question in the affirmative for new large families of algebraic knots.

In a classic paper Zeeman introduced the k-twist spin of a knot K and showed that the exterior of a twist spin fibers over S^1. In particular this result shows that the knot K # -K is doubly slice. In this paper we give a quick proof of Zeeman's result. The k-twist spin of K also gives rise to two metabolizers for K # …

We calculate Blanchfield pairings of 3-manifolds. In particular, we give a formula for the Blanchfield pairing of a fibred 3-manifold and we give a new proof that the Blanchfield pairing of a knot can be expressed in terms of a Seifert matrix.

Lower bounds on Gordian distance using Blanchfield pairings.

It is well known that the Blanchfield pairing of a knot can be expressed using Seifert matrices. In this paper, we compute the Blanchfield pairing of a colored link with non-zero Alexander polynomial. More precisely, we show that the Blanchfield pairing of such a link can be written in terms of generalized Seifert matr…

Study compares two knot pairings and their equivalence.

We consider the Alexander polynomial of a plane algebraic curve twisted by a linear representation. We show that it divides the product of the polynomials of the singularity links, for unitary representations. Moreover, their quotient is given by the determinant of its Blanchfield intersection form. Specializing in the…

Given a link $L$, the Blanchfield pairing $\operatorname{Bl}(L)$ is a pairing which is defined on the torsion submodule of the Alexander module of $L$. In some particular cases, namely if $L$ is a boundary link or if the Alexander module of $L$ is torsion, $\operatorname{Bl}(L)$ can be computed explicitly; however no f…

Survey connects singularity invariants to link pairings.

Defines and calculates signature invariants for twisted linking forms.

In this note we use Blanchfield forms to study knots that can be turned into an unknot using a single $\overline{t}_{2k}$ move.

Given a null-homologous knot $K$ in a rational homology 3-sphere $M$, and the standard infinite cyclic covering $\tilde{X}$ of $(M,K)$, we define an invariant of triples of curves in $\tilde{X}$, by means of equivariant triple intersections of surfaces. We prove that this invariant provides a map $φ$ on $\Al^{\otimes 3…

We study cobordisms and cobordisms rel boundary of PL locally-flat disk knots $D^{n-2}\into D^n$. Cobordisms of disk knots that do not fix the boundary sphere knots are easily classified by the cobordism properties of these boundaries, and any two even-dimensional disk knots with isotopic boundary knots are cobordant r…

Given a link in $S^3$ we will use invariants derived from the Alexander module and the Blanchfield pairing to obtain lower bounds on the Gordian distance between links, the unlinking number and various splitting numbers. These lower bounds generalise results recently obtained by Kawauchi. We give an application restric…

Null Lagrangian-preserving surgeries are a generalization of the Garoufalidis and Rozansky null-moves, that these authors introduced to study the Kricker lift of the Kontsevich integral, in the setting of pairs (M,K) composed of a rational homology sphere M and a null-homologous knot K in M. They are defined as replace…

In this paper we survey some work on representations of $B_n$ given by the induced action on a homology module of some space. One of these, called the Lawrence-Krammer representation, recently came to prominence when it was shown to be faithful for all $n$. We will outline the methods used, applying them to a closely r…

Using Blanchfield pairings, we show that two Alexander polynomials cannot be realized by a pair of matrices with Gordian distance one if a corresponding quadratic equation does not have an integer solution. We also give an example of how our results help in calculating the Gordian distances, algebraic Gordian distances…

We provide three 3-dimensional characterizations of the Z-slice genus of a knot, the minimal genus of a locally-flat surface in 4-space cobounding the knot whose complement has cyclic fundamental group: in terms of balanced algebraic unknotting, in terms of Seifert surfaces, and in terms of presentation matrices of the…

Recently Kearton showed that any Seifert matrix of a knot is S--equivalent to the Seifert matrix of a prime knot. We show in this note that such a matrix is in fact S--equivalent to the Seifert matrix of a hyperbolic knot. This result follows from reinterpreting this problem in terms of Blanchfield pairings and by appl…

Study of twisted Alexander matrices for certain quandles and their invariants.

Let M be a closed oriented 3-manifold with first Betti number one. Its equivariant linking pairing may be seen as a two-dimensional cohomology class in an appropriate infinite cyclic covering of the space of ordered pairs of distinct points of M. We show how to define the equivariant cube Q(K) of this Blanchfield pairi…

The paper introduces colorings and invariants for twisted links and shows how double coverings can be equivalent.

Let M be a closed oriented 3-manifold with first Betti number one. Its equivariant linking pairing may be seen as a two-dimensional cohomology class in an appropriate infinite cyclic covering of the configuration space of ordered pairs of distinct points of M. We show how to define the equivariant cube Q(M,K) of this B…

The twisted face-pairing construction of our earlier papers gives an efficient way of generating, mechanically and with little effort, myriads of relatively simple face-pairing descriptions of interesting closed 3-manifolds. The corresponding description in terms of surgery, or Dehn-filling, reveals the twist construct…

Characterizes the Z-genus of boundary links using Blanchfield forms.

Given a knot K we introduce a new invariant coming from the Blanchfield pairing and we show that it gives a lower bound on the unknotting number of K. This lower bound subsumes the lower bounds given by the Levine-Tristram signatures, by the Nakanishi index and it also subsumes the Lickorish obstruction to the unknotti…

We introduce a notion of a Fox pairing in a group algebra and use Fox pairings to define automorphisms of the Malcev completions of groups. These automorphisms generalize to the algebraic setting the action of the Dehn twists in the group algebras of the fundamental groups of surfaces. This work is inspired by the Kawa…

We show that bilinear cup products with local coefficients of closed 3-manifolds recover some twisted pairings of infinite covers and the Casson-Gordon local signatures. As a result, we further give diagrammatic computations of the pairings and signatures.

Paper studies convergence of Yang-Mills-Higgs flow on Kähler manifolds.

In [BF12] the authors associated to a knot K an invariant n_R(K) which is defined using the Blanchfield form and which gives a lower bound on the unknotting number. In this paper we express n_R(K) in terms of Levine-Tristram signatures and nullities of K. In the proof we also show that the Blanchfield form with real co…

This is a review article on some applications of generalised parabolic structures to the study of torsion free sheaves and $L$-twisted Hitchin pairs on nodal curves. In particular, we survey on the relation between representations of the fundamental group of a nodal curve and the moduli spaces of generalised parabolic …

In string theory, the concept of T-duality between two principal U(1)-bundles E_1 and E_2 over the same base space B, together with cohomology classes $h_1\in H^3(E_1)$ and $h_2\in H^3(E_2)$, has been introduced. One of the main virtues of T-duality is that $h_1$-twisted K-theory of $E_1$ is isomorphic to $h_2$-twisted…

Novikov initiated the study of the algebraic properties of quadratic forms over polynomial extensions by a far-reaching analogue of the Pontrjagin-Thom transversality construction of a Seifert surface of a knot and the infinite cyclic cover of the knot exterior. In this paper the analogy is applied to explain the relat…

Paper distinguishes 2-knots with circle actions using fundamental groups.

Let $Γ$ be either the infinite cyclic group $\mathbb{Z}$ or the Baumslag-Solitar group $\mathbb{Z} \ltimes \mathbb{Z}[\frac{1}{2}]$. Let $K$ be a slice knot admitting a slice disc $D$ in the 4-ball whose exterior has fundamental group $Γ$. We classify the $Γ$-homotopy ribbon slice discs for $K$ up to topological ambien…

We give uniform, explicit, and simple face-pairing descriptions of all the branched cyclic covers of the 3-sphere, branched over two-bridge knots. Our method is to use the bi-twisted face-pairing constructions of Cannon, Floyd, and Parry; these examples show that the bi-twist construction is often efficient and natural…

In this article, we give a classification of Alexander modules of null-homologous knots in rational homology spheres. We characterize these modules A equipped with their Blanchfield forms $φ$, and the modules A such that there is a unique isomorphism class of $(A,φ)$, and we prove that for the other modules A, there ar…

The difference between slice and doubly-slice knots is reflected in algebra by the difference between metabolic and hyperbolic Blanchfield linking forms. We exploit this algebraic distinction to refine the classical Witt group of linking forms by defining a `double Witt group' of linking forms. We calculate the double …

Our earlier twisted-face-pairing construction showed how to modify an arbitrary orientation-reversing face-pairing on a faceted 3-ball in a mechanical way so that the quotient is automatically a closed, orientable 3-manifold. The modifications were, in fact, parametrized by a finite set of positive integers, arbitraril…

Study Alexander matrices for link quandles and their relation to knot invariants.