This note shows that if two elements of equal trace (e.g., conjugate elements) generate an arithmetic two-bridge knot or link group, then the elements are parabolic. This includes the figure-eight knot and Whitehead link groups. Similarly, if two conjugate elements generate the trefoil knot group, then the elements are peripheral.
Techniques are introduced which determine the geometric structure of non-simple two-generator $3$-manifolds from purely algebraic data. As an application, the satellite knots in the $3$-sphere with a two-generator presentation in which at least one generator is represented by a meridian for the knot are classified.
We continue the study of the genus of knot diagrams, deriving a new description of generators using Hirasawa's algorithm. This description leads to good estimates on the maximal number of crossings of generators and allows us to complete their classification for knots of genus 4. As applications of the genus 4 classification, we establish non-triviality of the skein polynomial on $k$-almost positive knots for $k\le 4$, and of the Jones polynomial for $k\le 3$. For $k\le 4$, we classify the occurring achiral knots, and prove a trivializability result for $k$-almost positive unknot diagrams. Thi…
Positive permutation braids on n strings, which are defined to be positive n-braids where each pair of strings crosses at most once, form the elementary but non-trivial building blocks in many studies of conjugacy in the braid groups. We consider conjugacy among these elementary braids which close to knots, and show that those which close to the trivial knot or to the trefoil are all conjugate. All such n-braids with the maximum possible crossing number are also shown to be conjugate. We note that conjugacy of these braids for n<6 depends only on the crossing number. In contrast, we exhibit tw…
Given a knot and an SL(n,C) representation of its group that is conjugate to its dual, the representation that replaces each matrix with its inverse-transpose, the associated twisted Reidemeister torsion is reciprocal. An example is given of a knot group and SL(3,Z) representation that is not conjugate to its dual for which the twisted Reidemeister torsion is not reciprocal.
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 that the Wirtinger number of a link equals its bridge number. This equality can be viewed as establishing a weak version of Cappell and Shaneson's Meridional Rank Conjecture, and suggests a new approach to this conjecture. Our result also leads to a combinatorial techniq…
We prove that, for a hyperbolic two bridge knot, infinitely many Dehn fillings are rigid in $SO_0(4,1)$. Here rigidity means that any discrete and faithful representation in $SO_0(4,1)$ is conjugate to the holonomy representation in $SO_0(3,1)$. We also show local rigidity for almost all Dehn fillings.
We give a classification of irreducible metabelian representations from a knot group into SL(n,C) and GL(n,C). If the homology of the n-fold branched cover of the knot is finite, we show that every irreducible metabelian SL(n,C) representation is conjugate to a unitary representation and that the set of conjugacy classes of such representations is finite. In that case, we give a formula for this number in terms of the Alexander polynomial of the knot. These results are the higher rank generalizations of a result of Nagasato, who recently studied irreducible, metabelian SL(2,C) representations …
The singular instanton Floer homology was defined by Kronheimer and Mrowka in connection with their proof that the Khovanov homology is an unknot detector. We study this theory for knots and two-component links using equivariant gauge theory on their double branched covers. We show that the special generator in the singular instanton Floer homology of a knot is graded by the knot signature mod 4, thereby providing a purely topological way of fixing the absolute grading in the theory. Our approach also results in explicit computations of the generators and gradings of the singular instanton Flo…
In this work we introduce the concept of Modular Framization or simply Framization. We construct a framization $F_{d,n}$ of the Birman--Wenzl--Murakami algebra, also known as BMW algebra, and start a systematic study of this framization. We show that $F_{d,n}$ is finite dimensional and the \lq braid generators\rq\ of this algebra satisfy a quartic relation which is of minimal degree not containing the generators $t_i$. They also satisfy a quintic relation, as the smallest closed relation. We conjecture that the algebras $F_{d,n}$ support a Markov trace which allow to define polynomial invarian…
Construction of a semigroup with 15 generators and 84 relations is given. The center of this semigroup is in one-to-one correspondence with the set of all isotopy classes of non-oriented singular knots (links with finitely many double intersections in general position) in three-dimensional space.
It is a conjecture that the signature of a positive link is bounded below by an increasing function of its negated Euler characteristic. In relation to this conjecture, we apply the generator description for canonical genus to show that the boundedness of the genera of positive knots with given signature can be algorithmically partially decided. We relate this to the result that the set of knots of canonical genus greater than or equal to n is dominated by a finite subset of itself in the sense of Taniyama's partial order.
We show that the problem of constructing a real rational knot of a reasonably low degree can be reduced to an algebraic problem involving the pure braid group: expressing an associated element of the pure braid group in terms of the standard generators of the pure braid group. We also predict the existence of a real rational knot in a degree that is expressed in terms of the edge number of its polygonal representation.
We complete the TOP classification of 2-knots with torsion-free, solvable knot group by showing that fibred 2-knots with closed fibre the Hantzsche-Wendt flat 3-manifold $HW$ are not reflexive, while every fibred 2-knot with closed fibre a $\mathbb{N}il^3$-manifold with base orbifold $S^2(3,3,3)$ is reflexive, and by giving explicit normal forms for the strict weight orbits of normal generators for the groups of all knots in either class. We also determine when the knots are amphicheiral or invertible, and show that the only non-trivial doubly null-concordant knots with such groups are those w…
Given a knot K and an irreducible metabelian SL(n,C) representation we establish an equality for the dimension of the first twisted cohomology. In the case of equality, we prove that the representation must have finite image and that it is conjugate to an SU(n) representation. In this case we show it determines a smooth point x in the SL(n,C) character variety, and we use a deformation argument to establish the existence of a smooth (n-1)-dimensional family of characters of irreducible SL(n,C) representations near x. Combining this with our previous existence results, we deduce the existence o…
In a group, a non-trivial element is called a generalized torsion element if some non-empty finite product of its conjugates equals to the identity. We say that a knot has generalized torsion if its knot group admits such an element. For a (2, 2q+1)-torus knot K, we demonstrate that there are infinitely many unknots c such that p-twisting K about c yields a twist family, which consists of hyperbolic knots with generalized torsion whenever |p| > 3. This gives a new infinite class of hyperbolic knots having generalized torsion. In particular, each class contains knots with arbitrarily high genus…
We describe a simple fundamental domain for the holonomy group of the boundary unipotent spherical CR uniformization of the figure eight knot complement, and deduce that small deformations of that holonomy group (such that the boundary holonomy remains parabolic) also give a uniformization of the figure eight knot complement. Finally, we construct an explicit 1-parameter family of deformations of the boundary unipotent holonomy group such that the boundary holonomy is twist-parabolic. For small values of the twist of these parabolic elements, this produces a 1-parameter family of pairwise non-…
It is known that a presentation of the knot group of a branched twist spin is obtained from a Wirtinger presentation of the original 1-knot group by adding a generator corresponding to a regular orbit of the circle action and a certain relator. In particular, the additional generator is an element of the center of the knot group. In this paper, we focus on ${\rm SL}_2(\mathbb{Z}_3)$-representations and dihedral group representations. For the former case, we give a sufficient condition for the existence of an ${\rm SL}_2(\mathbb{Z}_3)$-representation for a branched twist spin. For the latter ca…
As proved by Hedden and Ording, there exist knots for which the Ozsvath-Szabo and Rasmussen smooth concordance invariants, tau and s, differ. The Hedden-Ording examples have nontrivial Alexander polynomials and are not topologically slice. It is shown in this note that a simple manipulation of the Hedden-Ording examples yields a topologically slice Alexander polynomial one knot for which tau and s differ. Manolescu and Owens have previously found a concordance invariant that is independent of both tau and s on knots of polynomial one, and as a consequence have shown that the smooth concordance…
Representations of two bridge knot groups in the isometry group of some complete Riemannian 3-manifolds as $E^{3}$ (Euclidean 3-space), $H^{3}$ (hyperbolic 3-space) and $ E^{2,1}$ (Minkowski 3-space), using quaternion algebra theory, are studied. We study the different representations of a 2-generator group in which the generators are send to conjugate elements, by analyzing the points of an algebraic variety, that we call the \emph{variety of affine c-representations of}$G$. Each point in this variety correspond to a representation in the unit group of a quaternion algebra and their affine de…
We give an alternative proof to Agol's classification of parabolic generating pairs of non-free Kleinian groups generated by two parabolic transformations. As an application, we give a complete characterisation of epimorphims between $2$-bridge knot groups and a complete characterisation of degree one maps between the exteriors of hyperbolic $2$-bridge links.
We recursively determine the homotopy type of the space of any irreducible framed link in the 3-sphere, modulo rotations. This leads us to the homotopy type of the space of any knot in the solid torus, thus answering a question posed by Arnold. We similarly study spaces of unframed links in the 3-sphere, modulo rotations, and spaces of knots in the thickened torus. The subgroup of meridional rotations splits as a direct factor of the fundamental group of the space of any framed link except the unknot. Its generators can be viewed as generalizations of the Gramain loop in the space of long knot…
We show that the skein vector space of the 3-torus is finitely generated. We show that it is generated by 9 elements: the empty set, some simple closed curves representing the non null elements of the first homology group with coefficients in \Z_2, and a link consisting of two parallel copies of one of the previous non empty knots.
For a knot $K$ in $S^3$, let $G(K)$ be the knot group of $K$, $a(K)$ the Ma-Qiu index (the MQ index, for short), which is the minimal number of normal generators of the commutator subgroup of $G(K)$, and $m(K)$ the Nakanishi index of $K$, which is the minimal number of generators of the Alexander module of $K$.We generalize the notions for a pair of a group $G$ and its normal sugroup $N$, and we denote them by $a(G, N)$ and $m(G, N)$ respectively.Then it is easy to see $m(G, N)\le a(G, N)$ in general.We also introduce a notion ``$ω$-solvability" for a group that the intersection of all higher …
Let $\text{Mod}(S_g)$ be the mapping class group of the closed orientable surface $S_g$ of genus $g\geq 2$. In this paper, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for two finite-order mapping classes to have commuting conjugates in $\text{Mod}(S_g)$. As an application of this result, we show that any finite-order mapping class, whose corresponding orbifold is not a sphere, has a conjugate that lifts under any finite-sheeted cover of $S_g$. Furthermore, we show that any torsion element in the centralizer of an irreducible finite order mapping class is of order at most $2$. We also obtain …
In this paper, properties of a link $L$ in the projective space $\mathbb R P^3$ are related to properties of its group $π_1(\mathbb R P^3\smallsetminus L)$: $L$ is isotopic to a projective line if and only if $π_1(\mathbb R P^3\smallsetminus L)=\mathbb Z$. $L$ is isotopic to an affine circle if and only if $π_1(\mathbb R P^3\smallsetminus L)=\mathbb Z*\mathbb Z_{/2}$. $L$ is isotopic to a link disjoint from a projective plane if and only if $π_1(\mathbb R P^3\smallsetminus L)$ contains a non-trivial element of order two. A simple algorithm which finds a system of generators and relations for $…
The Wirtinger number of a virtual link is the minimum number of generators of the link group over all meridional presentations in which every relation is an iterated Wirtinger relation arising in a diagram. We prove that the Wirtinger number of a virtual link equals its virtual bridge number. Since the Wirtinger number is algorithmically computable, it gives a more effective way to calculate an upper bound for the virtual bridge number from a virtual link diagram. As an application, we compute upper bounds for the virtual bridge numbers and the quandle counting invariants of virtual knots with…
In this paper we push forward results on the invariant ${\cal F}$-module of a virtual knot investigated by the first named author where ${\cal F}$ is the algebra with two invertible generators $A,B$ and one relation $A^{-1}B^{-1}AB-B^{-1}AB= BA^{-1}B^{-1}A-A$. For flat knots and links the two sides of the relation equation are put equal to unity and the algebra becomes the Weyl algebra. If this is perturbed and the two sides of the relation equation are put equal to a general element, $q$, of the ground ring, then the resulting module lays claim to be the correct generalization of the Alexande…
In this paper, we give a precise and workable definition of a quantum knot system, the states of which are called quantum knots. This definition can be viewed as a blueprint for the construction of an actual physical quantum system. Moreover, this definition of a quantum knot system is intended to represent the "quantum embodiment" of a closed knotted physical piece of rope. A quantum knot, as a state of this system, represents the state of such a knotted closed piece of rope, i.e., the particular spatial configuration of the knot tied in the rope. Associated with a quantum knot system is a gr…
We use Klyachko's methods to prove that the natural map G to G-hat, where G is a torsion-free group and G-hat is obtained by adding a new generator t and a new relator w, is surjective only if w is conjugate to gt or gt^{-1} for some g in G. This solves a special case of the surjectivity problem for group extensions, raised by Cohen [Whitehead torsion, group extensions, and Zeeman's conjecture in high dimensions, Topology, 16 (1977) 79--88].
The mixed braid groups $B_{2,n}, \ n \in \mathbb{N}$, with two fixed strands and $n$ moving ones, are known to be related to the knot theory of certain families of $3$-manifolds. In this paper we define the mixed Hecke algebra $\mathrm{H}_{2,n}(q)$ as the quotient of the group algebra ${\mathbb Z}\, [q^{\pm 1}] \, B_{2,n}$ over the quadratic relations of the classical Iwahori-Hecke algebra for the braiding generators. We furhter provide a potential basis $Λ_n$ for $\mathrm{H}_{2,n}(q)$, which we prove is a spanning set for the $\mathbb{Z}[q^{\pm 1}]$-additive structure of this algebra. The set…
We study the universal character ring of some families of one-relator groups. As an application, we calculate the universal character ring of two-generator one-relator groups whose relators are palindrome, and, in particular, of the (-2,2m+1,2n+1)-pretzel knot for all integers m and n. For the (-2,3,2n+1)-pretzel knot, we give a less technical proof of a result in [LT1] on its universal character ring, and an elementary proof of a result in [Ma] on the number of irreducible components of its character variety.
Consider a random word $X^n=(X_1,\ldots ,X_n)$ in an alphabet consisting of $4$ letters, with the letters viewed either as $A$, $U$, $G$ and $C$ (i.e., nucleotides in an RNA sequence) or $α$, $\barα$, $β$ and $\barβ$ (i.e., generators of the free group $\langleα,β\rangle$ and their inverses). We show that the expected fraction $ρ(n)$ of unpaired bases in an optimal RNA secondary structure (with only Watson-Crick bonds and no pseudo-knots) converges to a constant $λ_2$ with $0<λ_2<1$ as $n\to\infty$. Thus, a positive proportion of the bases of a random RNA string do not form hydrogen bonds. We …
Let F_n be the free group on n generators, and PΣ_n be the group of automorphisms of F_n which send each generator to a conjugate of itself. Let K_n be the kernel of the homomorphism from PΣ_n to PΣ_{n-1} induced by mapping one of the free group generators to the identity. We show that K_n has cohomological dimension n-1, and that the ith cohomology groups are infinitely generated for all i between 2 and n-1. It follows that K_n is not finitely presentable for n>2.
Thurston's ending lamination conjecture proposes that a finitely generated Kleinian group is uniquely determined (up to isometry) by the topology of its quotient and a list of invariants that describe the asymptotic geometry of its ends. We present a proof of this conjecture for punctured-torus groups. These are free two-generator Kleinian groups with parabolic commutator, which should be thought of as representations of the fundamental group of a punctured torus. As a consequence we verify the conjectural topological description of the deformation space of punctured-torus groups (including Be…