We study rack polynomials and the link invariants they define. We show that constant action racks are classified by their generalized rack polynomials and show that $ns^at^a$-quandles are not classified by their generalized quandle polynomials. We use subrack polynomials to define enhanced rack counting invariants, generalizing the quandle polynomial invariants.
We define ambient isotopy invariants of oriented knots and links using the counting invariants of framed links defined by finite racks. These invariants reduce to the usual quandle counting invariant when the rack in question is a quandle. We are able to further enhance these counting invariants with 2-cocycles from the coloring rack's second rack cohomology satisfying a new degeneracy condition which reduces to the usual case for quandles.
We classify indecomposable racks of order p^2 (p a prime). There are 2p^2 - 2p - 2 isomorphism classes, among which 2p^2 - 3p - 1 correspond to quandles. In particular, we prove that an indecomposable quandle of order p^2 is affine (=Alexander). One of the results yielding this classification is the computation of the quandle nonabelian second cohomology group of an indecomposable quandle of prime order; which turns out to be trivial, as in the abelian case.
We give a foundational account on topological racks and quandles. Specifically, we define the notions of ideals, kernels, units, and inner automorphism group in the context of topological racks. Further, we investigate topological rack modules and principal rack bundles. Central extensions of topological racks are then introduced providing a first step towards a general continuous cohomology theory for topological racks and quandles.
The homology and cohomology of quandles and racks are used in knot theory: given a finite quandle and a cocycle, we can construct a knot invariant. This is a quick introductory survey to the invariants of knots derived from quandles and racks.
This short survey contains some recent developments of the algebraic theory of racks and quandles. We report on some elements of representation theory of quandles and ring theoretic approach to quandles.
The theory of rack and quandle modules is developed - in particular a tensor product is defined, and shown to satisfy an appropriate adjointness condition. Notions of free rack and quandle modules are introduced, and used to define an enveloping object (the `rack algebra' or `wring') for a given rack or quandle. These constructions are then used to define homology and cohomology theories for racks and quandles which contain all currently-known variants.
We revisit finite racks and quandles using a perspective based on permutations which can aid in the understanding of the structure. As a consequence we recover old results and prove new ones. We also present and analyze several examples.
In this paper we describe methods for computing rack and quandle cohomology. We illustrate these methods by completely determining the cohomology of prime dihedral quandles.
We initiate the homotopical study of racks and quandles, two algebraic structures that govern knot theory and related braided structures in algebra and geometry. We prove analogs of Milnor's theorem on free groups for these theories and their pointed variants, identifying the homotopy types of the free racks and free quandles on spaces of generators. These results allow us to complete the stable classification of racks and quandles by identifying the ring spectra that model their stable homotopy theories. As an application, we show that the stable homotopy of a knot quandle is, in general, mor…
This paper has partially a novel and partially a survey character. We start with a short review of rack (two term) homology of self distributive algebraic structures (shelves) and their connections to knot theory. We concentrate on a sub-family of quandles satisfying the graphic axiom. For a large family of graphic quandles (including infinite ones), we compute the second rack homology groups. Finally, we propose conjectures based on our computational data.
Given a rack Q and a ring A, one can construct a Yang-Baxter operator c_Q: V tensor V --> V tensor V on the free A-module V = AQ by setting c_Q(x tensor y) = y tensor x^y for all x,y in Q. In answer to a question initiated by D.N. Yetter and P.J. Freyd, this article classifies formal deformations of c_Q in the space of Yang-Baxter operators. For the trivial rack, where x^y = x for all x,y, one has, of course, the classical setting of r-matrices and quantum groups. In the general case we introduce and calculate the cohomology theory that classifies infinitesimal deformations of c_Q. In many cas…
In 1993, Fenn, Rourke and Sanderson introduced rack spaces and rack homotopy invariants, and modifications to quandle spaces and quandle homotopy invariants were introduced by Nosaka in 2011. In this paper, we define the Cayley-type graph and the extended quandle space of a quandle in analogy to rack and quandle spaces. Moreover, we construct the shadow homotopy invariant of a classical link and prove that the shadow homotopy invariant is equal to the quandle homotopy invariant multiplied by the order of a quandle.
New definitions of rack and quandle modules are introduced, and shown to generalise the definitions previously studied by Andruskiewitsch, Etingof and Grana. This new construct is shown to coincide with Beck's general definition of a module in an arbitrary category. A theory of Abelian extensions of racks and quandles is then developed, which is shown to generalise the theories developed by Carter, Elhamdadi, Kamada and Saito.
This article is the second part of a series of three articles, in which we develop a higher covering theory of racks and quandles. This project is rooted in M. Eisermann's work on quandle coverings, and the categorical perspective brought to the subject by V. Even, who characterizes coverings as those surjections which are categorically central, relatively to trivial quandles. We extend this work by applying the techniques from higher categorical Galois theory, in the sense of G. Janelidze, and in particular we identify meaningful higher-dimensional centrality conditions defining our higher co…
A rack of order $n$ is a binary operation $\rack$ on a set $X$ of cardinality $n$, such that right multiplication is an automorphism. More precisely, $(X,\rack)$ is a rack provided that the map $x\mapsto x\rack y$ is a bijection for all $y\in X$, and $(x\rack y)\rack z=(x\rack z)\rack (y\rack z)$ for all $x,y,z\in X$. The paper provides upper and lower bounds of the form $2^{cn^2}$ on the number of isomorphism classes of racks of order $n$. Similar results on the number of isomorphism classes of quandles and kei are obtained. The results of the paper are established by first showing how an arb…
A birack is an algebraic structure with axioms encoding the blackboard-framed Reidemeister moves, incorporating quandles, racks, strong biquandles and semiquandles as special cases. In this paper we extend the counting invariant for finite racks to the case of finite biracks. We introduce a family of biracks generalizing Alexander quandles, $(t,s)$-racks, Alexander biquandles and Silver-Williams switches, known as $(τ,σ,ρ)$-biracks. We consider enhancements of the counting invariant using writhe vectors, image subbiracks, and birack polynomials.
This article is the second part of a series of three articles, in which we develop a higher covering theory of racks and quandles. This project is rooted in M. Eisermann's work on quandle coverings, and the categorical perspective brought by V. Even, who characterizes coverings as those surjections which are central, relatively to trivial quandles. We extend this work by applying the techniques from higher categorical Galois theory, in the sense of G. Janelidze, and in particular we identify meaningful higher-dimensional centrality conditions defining our higher coverings of racks and quandles…
It is a classical result in reduced homology of finite groups that the order of a group annihilates its homology. Similarly, we have proved that the torsion subgroup of rack and quandle homology of a finite quasigroup quandle is annihilated by its order. However, it does not hold for connected quandles in general. In this paper, we define an $m$-almost quasigroup ($m$-AQ) quandle which is a generalization of a quasigroup quandle and study annihilation of torsion in its rack and quandle homology groups.
Quandle homology was defined from rack homology as the quotient by a subcomplex corresponding to the idempotency, for invariance under the type I Reidemeister move. Similar subcomplexes have been considered for various identities of racks and moves on diagrams. We observe common aspects of these identities and subcomplexes; a quandle identity gives rise to a $2$-cycle, the abelian extension with a $2$-cocycle that vanishes on the $2$-cycle inherits the identity, and a subcomplex is constructed from the identity. Specific identities are examined among small connected quandles.
We define an invariant of tangles and framed tangles given a finite crossed module and a pair of functions, called a Reidemeister pair, satisfying natural properties. We give several examples of Reidemeister pairs derived from racks, quandles, rack and quandle cocycles, 2-crossed modules and braided crossed modules. We prove that our construction includes all rack and quandle cohomology (framed) link invariants, as well as the Eisermann invariant of knots, for which we also find a lifting by using braided crossed modules.
We define a new class of racks, called finitely stable racks, which, to some extent, share various flavors with Abelian groups. Characterization of finitely stable Alexander quandles is established. Further, we study twisted rack dynamical systems, construct their cross-products, and introduce representation theory of racks and quandles. We prove several results on the {\em strong} representations of finite connected involutive racks analogous to the properties of finite Abelian groups. Finally, we define the {\em Pontryagin} dual of a rack as an Abelian group which, in the finite involutive c…
Racks and quandles are rich algebraic structures that are strong enough to classify knots. Here we develop several fundamental categorical aspects of the theories of racks and quandles and their relation to the theory of permutations. In particular, we compute the centers of the categories and describe power operations on them, thereby revealing free extra structure that is not apparent from the definitions. This also leads to precise characterizations of these theories in the form of universal properties.
We show that the lower bounds for Betti numbers given in math.GT/9909161 are equalities for a class of racks that includes dihedral and Alexander racks. We confirm a conjecture from the same paper by defining a splitting for the short exact sequence of quandle chain complexes. We define isomorphisms between Alexander racks of certain forms, and we also list the second and third homology groups of some dihedral and Alexander quandles.
The aim of this paper is to define a homology theory for racks with finite rank N and use it to define invariants of knots generalizing the CJKLS 2-cocycle invariants related to the invariants defined in [15]. For this purpose, we prove that N -degenerate chains form a sub-complex of the classical complex defining rack homology. If a rack has rack rank N = 1 then it is a quandle and our homology theory coincides with the CKJLS homology theory [6]. Nontrivial cocycles are used to define invariants of knots and examples of calculations for classical knots with up to 8 crossings and classical lin…
We prove that if Q is a finite quasigroup quandle, then |Q| annihilates the torsion of its homology. It is a classical result in reduced homology of finite groups that the order of a group annihilates its homology. From the very beginning of the rack homology (between 1990 and 1995) the analogous result was suspected. The first general results in this direction were obtained independently about 2001 by R.A.Litherland and S.Nelson, and P.Etingof and M.Grana. In Litherland-Nelson paper it is proven that if (Q;*) is a finite homogeneous rack (this includes quasigroup racks) then the torsion of ho…
We define an invariant of tangles and framed tangles given a finite crossed module and a pair of functions, called a Reidemeister pair, satisfying natural properties. We give several examples of Reidemeister pairs derived from racks, quandles, rack and quandle cocycles, and central extensions of groups. We prove that our construction includes all rack and quandle cohomology (framed) link invariants, as well as the Eisermann invariant of knots. We construct a class of Reidemeister pairs which constitute a lifting of the Eisermann invariant, and show through an example that this class is strictl…
Racks do not give us invariants of surface-knots in general. For example, if a surface-knot diagram has branch points (and a rack which we use satisfies some mild condition), then it admits no rack colorings. In this paper, we investigate rack colorings for surface-knot diagrams without branch points and prove that rack colorings are invariants of $S^2$-knots. We also prove that rack colorings for $S^2$-knots can be interpreted in terms of quandles, and discuss a relationship with regular-equivalences of surface-knot diagrams.
We define a two-variable polynomial invariant of finite quandles. In many cases this invariant completely determines the algebraic structure of the quandle up to isomorphism. We use this polynomial to define a family of link invariants which generalize the quandle counting invariant.
In this article, we introduce rack invariants of oriented Legendrian knots in the 3-dimensional Euclidean space endowed with the standard contact structure, which we call Legendrian racks. These invariants form a generalization of the quandle invariants of knots. These rack invariants do not result in a complete invariant, but detect some of the geometric properties such as cusps in a Legendrian knot. In the case of topologically trivial Legendrian knots, we test this family of invariants for its strengths and limitations. We further prove that these invariants form a natural generalization of…
The 2-twist spun trefoil is an example of a sphere that is knotted in 4-dimensional space. Here this example is shown to be distinct from the same sphere with the reversed orientation. To demonstrate this fact a state-sum invariant for classical knots and knotted surfaces is developed via a cohomology theory of racks and quandles (also known as distributive groupoids). A quandle is a set with a binary operation --- the axioms of which model the Reidemeister moves in the classical theory of knotted and linked curves in 3-space. Colorings of diagrams of knotted curves and surfaces by quandle ele…
We define a family of generalizations of the two-variable quandle polynomial. These polynomial invariants generalize in a natural way to eight-variable polynomial invariants of finite biquandles. We use these polynomials to define a family of link invariants which further generalize the quandle counting invariant.
We enhance the quandle coloring quiver invariant of oriented knots and links with quandle modules. This results in a two-variable polynomial invariant with specializes to the previous quandle module polynomial invariant as well as to the quandle counting invariant. We provide example computations to show that the enhancement is proper in the sense that it distinguishes knots and links with the same quandle module polynomial.
Defined by Joyce and Matveev, the fundamental quandle is a complete invariant of oriented classical knots. We consider invariants of knots defined from quotients of the fundamental quandle. In particular, we introduce the fundamental Latin Alexander quandle of a knot and consider its Gröbner basis-valued invariants, which generalize the Alexander polynomial. We show via example that the invariant is not determined by the generalized Alexander polynomial for virtual knots.
We introduce two notions of quandle polynomials for G-families of quandles: the quandle polynomial of the associated quandle and a G-family polynomial with coefficients in the group ring of G. As an application we define image subquandle polynomial enhancements of the G-family counting invariant for trivalent spatial graphs and handlebody-links. We provide examples to show that the new enhancements are proper.
Quandle coloring quivers are directed graph-valued invariants of oriented knots and links, defined using a choice of finite quandle $X$ and set $S\subset\mathrm{Hom}(X,X)$ of endomorphisms. From a quandle coloring quiver, a polynomial knot invariant known as the \textit{in-degree quiver polynomial} is defined. We consider quandle coloring quiver invariants for oriented surface-links, represented by marked graph diagrams. We provide example computations for all oriented surface-links with ch-index up to 10 for choices of quandles and endomorphisms.
We introduce the notion of N-reduced dynamical cocycles and use these objects to define enhancements of the rack counting invariant for classical and virtual knots and links. We provide examples to show that the new invariants are not determined by the rack counting invariant, the Jones polynomial or the generalized Alexander polynomial.
Cocycles are constructed by polynomial expressions for Alexander quandles. As applications, non-triviality of some quandle homology groups are proved, and quandle cocycle invariants of knots are studied. In particular, for an infinite family of quandles, the non-triviality of quandle homology groups is proved for all odd dimensions.
We introduce a six-variable polynomial invariant of Niebrzydowski tribrackets analogous to quandle,rack and biquandle polynomials. Using the subtribrackets of a tribracket, we additionally define subtribracket polynomials and establish a sufficient condition for isomorphic subtribrackets to have the same polynomial regardless of their embedding in the ambient tribracket. As an application, we enhance the tribracket counting invariant of knots and links using subtribracket polynomials and provide examples to demonstrate that this enhancement is proper.
Niebrzydowski tribrackets are ternary operations on sets satisfying conditions obtained from the oriented Reidemeister moves such that the set of tribracket colorings of an oriented knot or link diagram is an invariant of oriented knots and links. We introduce tribracket modules analogous to quandle/biquandle/rack modules and use these structures to enhance the tribracket counting invariant. We provide examples to illustrate the computation of the invariant and show that the enhancement is proper.
We introduce a modified rack algebra Z[X] for racks X with finite rack rank N. We use representations of Z[X] into rings, known as rack modules, to define enhancements of the rack counting invariant for classical and virtual knots and links. We provide computations and examples to show that the new invariants are strictly stronger than the unenhanced counting invariant and are not determined by the Jones or Alexander polynomials.
We enhance the psyquandle counting invariant for singular knots and pseudoknots using quivers analogously to quandle coloring quivers. This enables us to extend the in-degree polynomial invariants from quandle coloring quiver theory to the case of singular knots and pseudoknots. As a side effect we obtain biquandle coloring quivers and in-degree polynomial invariants for classical and virtual knots and links.
In a recent paper, Allen and Swenberg investigated which link polynomials are capable of detecting causality in (2+1)-dimensional globally hyperbolic spacetimes. They ultimately suggested it is likely that the Jones Polynomial accomplishes this, while the Alexander-Conway polynomial, independently, is insufficient. As the Alexander-Conway polynomial on its own is not likely to detect causality an additional piece of information must be supplemented to the link polynomial. This paper aims to examine the ability of Alexander quandles, to distinguish the connected sum of two Hopf links and Allen-…
In this paper we study the parabolic representations of 2-bridge links by finiding arc coloring vectors on the Conway diagram. The method we use is to convert the system of conjugation quandle equations to that of symplectic quandle equations. In this approach, we have an integer coefficient monic polynomial $P_K(u)$ for each 2-bridge link $K$, and each zero of this polynomial gives a set of arc coloring vectors on the diagram of $K$ satisfying the system of symplectic quandle equations, which gives an explicit formula for a parabolic representation of $K$. We then explain how these arc colori…
We incorporate quandle cocycle information into the quandle coloring quivers we defined in arXiv:1807.10465 to define weighted directed graph-valued invariants of oriented links we call \textit{quandle cocycle quivers}. This construction turns the quandle cocycle invariant into a small category, yielding a categorification of the quandle cocycleinvariant. From these graphs we define several new link invariants including a 2-variable polynomial which specializes to the usual quandle cocycle invariant. Examples and computations are provided.