We introduce a certain class of link diagrams, which includes all closed braid diagrams. We show a generalized version of Kálmán's full-twist formula for the HOMFLY polynomial in the class.
Let $β$ be a braid on $n$ strands, with exponent sum $w$. Let $Δ$ be the Garside half-twist braid. We prove that the coefficient of $v^{w-n+1}$ in the Homfly polynomial of the closure of $β$ agrees with $(-1)^{n-1}$ times the coefficient of $v^{w+n^2-1}$ in the Homfly polynomial of the closure of $βΔ^2$. This coincidence implies that the lower Morton--Franks-Williams estimate for the $v$--degree of the Homfly polynomial of $\hatβ$ is sharp if and only if the upper MFW estimate is sharp for the $v$--degree of the Homfly polynomial of $\hat{βΔ^2}$.
We introduce a formula for the action of Dehn twists on the HOMFLY-PT type skein module of a surface. As an application of the formula to mapping class group, we give an embedding from the Torelli group of a surface $Σ_{g,1}$ of genus $g$ with non-empty connected boundary into the completed HOMFLY-PT type skein algebra. As an application of the formula to integral homology $3$-spheres, we construct an invariant $z(M) \in \mathbb{Q} [ρ] [[h]]$ for an integral homology $3$-sphere $M$. The invariant $z(M) \mod (h^{n+1})$ is a finite type invariant of order $n$.
Turning the skein relation for HOMFLY into a Fibonacci recurrence, we prove that there are only three rational specializations of HOMFLY polynomial: Alexander-Conway, Jones, and a new one. Using the recurrence relation, we find general and relative expansion formulae and rational generating functions for Alexander-Conway polynomial and the new polynomial, which reduce the computations to closure of simple braids, a subset of square free braids; HOMFLY polynomials of these simple braids are also computed. Algebraic independence of these three polynomials is proved.
We show that for a special alternating link diagram, the following three polynomials are essentially the same: a) the part of the HOMFLY polynomial that corresponds to the leading term in the Alexander polynomial; b) the $h$-vector for a triangulation of the root polytope of the Seifert graph and c) the enumerator of parking functions for the planar dual of the Seifert graph. These observations yield formulas for the maximal $z$-degree part of the HOMFLY polynomial of an arbitrary homogeneous link as well. Our result is part of a program aimed at reading HOMFLY coefficients out of Heegaard Flo…
We give an explicit formula for the HOMFLY polynomial of a rational link (in particular, a knot) in terms of a special continued fraction for the rational number that defines the given link.
In \cite{GZ}, Gilmer and Zhong established the existence of an invariant for links in $S^1\times S^2$ which is a rational function in variables $a$ and $s$ and satisfies the HOMFLY-PT skein relations. We give formulas for evaluating this invariant in terms of a standard, geometrically simple basis for the HOMFLY-PT skein module of the solid torus. This allows computation of the invariant for arbitrary links in $S^1\times S^2$ and shows that the invariant is in fact a Laurent polynomial in $a$ and $z= s -s^{-1}$. Our proof uses connections between HOMFLY-PT skein modules and invariants of Legen…
We provide methods to compute the colored HOMFLY polynomials of knots and links with symmetric representations based on the linear skein theory. By using diagrammatic calculations, several formulae for the colored HOMFLY polynomials are obtained. As an application, we calculate some examples for hyperbolic knots and links, and we study a generalization of the volume conjecture by means of numerical calculations. In these examples, we observe that asymptotic behaviors of invariants seem to have relations to the volume conjecure.
In this note we describe the recursion relations between two parameter HOMLFY and Kauffman polynomials of framed links These relation correspond to embeddings of quantized universal enveloping algebras. The relation corresponding to embeddings $g_{n}\supset g_{k}\times sl_{n-k}$ where $g_{n}$ is either $so_{2n+1}$, $so_{2n}$ or $sp_{2n}$ is new.
We give formulas expressing Milnor invariants of an n-component link L in the 3-sphere in terms of the HOMFLYPT polynomial as follows. If the Milnor invariant \barμ_J(L) vanishes for any sequence J with length at most k, then any Milnor \barμ-invariant \barμ_I(L) with length between 3 and 2k+1 can be represented as a combination of HOMFLYPT polynomial of knots obtained from the link by certain band sum operations. In particular, the `first non vanishing' Milnor invariants can be always represented as such a linear combination.
We explore Jaeger's state model for the HOMFLYPT polynomial. We reformulate this model in the language of Gauss diagrams and use it to obtain Gauss diagram formulas for a two-parameter family of Vassiliev invariants coming from the HOMFLYPT polynomial. These formulas are new already for invariants of degree 3.
HOMFLY polynomials are one of the major knot invariants being actively studied. They are difficult to compute in the general case but can be far more easily expressed in certain specific cases. In this paper, we examine two particular knots, as well as one more general infinite class of knots. From our calculations, we see some apparent patterns in the polynomials for the knots $9_{35}$ and $9_{46}$, and in particular their $F$-factors. These properties are of a form that seems conducive to finding a general formula for them, which would yield a general formula for the HOMFLY polynomials of th…
Basing on evaluation of the Racah coefficients for SU_q(3) (which supported the earlier conjecture of their universal form) we derive explicit formulas for all the 5-, 6- and 7-strand Wilson averages in the fundamental representation of arbitrary SU(N) group (the HOMFLY polynomials). As an application, we list the answers for all 5-strand knots with 9 crossings. In fact, the 7-strand formulas are sufficient to reproduce all the HOMFLY polynomials from the katlas.org: they are all described at once by a simple explicit formula with a very transparent structure. Moreover, would the formulas for …
It is well known that any link can be represented by the closure of a braid. The minimum number of strings needed in a braid whose closure represents a given link is called the braid index of the link and the well known Morton-Frank-Williams inequality reveals a close relationship between the HOMFLY polynomial of a link and its braid index. In the case that a link is already presented in a closed braid form, Jaeger derived a special formulation of the HOMFLY polynomial. In this paper, we prove a variant of Jaeger's result as well as a dual version of it. Unlike Jaeger's original reasoning, whi…
In this short note, we prove the cyclotomic expansion formula for the colored HOMFLY-PT invariant of double twist knots, it confirms the cyclotomic expansion conjecture for $SU(N)$-invariants proposed in \cite{CLZ}.
The meridian maps of the full Homfly skein of the annulus are linear endomorphisms induced by the insertion of a meridian loop, with either orientation, around a diagram in the annulus. The eigenvalues of the meridian maps are known to be distinct, and are indexed by pairs of partitions of integers p and n into k and k* parts respectively. We give here an explicit formula for a corresponding eigenvector as the determinant of a (k*+k)x(k*+k) matrix whose entries are skein elements corresponding to partitions with a single part. This extends the results of Kawagoe and Lukac, for the case p=0, gi…
In this paper, we present several new structures for the colored HOMFLY-PT invariants of framed links. First, we prove the strong integrality property for the normalized colored HOMFLY-PT invariants by purely using the HOMFLY-PT skein theory developed by H. Morton and his collaborators. By this strong integrality property, we immediately obtain several symmetric properties for the full colored HOMFLY-PT invariants of links. Then, we apply our results to refine the mathematical structures appearing in the Labastida-Mariño-Ooguri-Vafa (LMOV) integrality conjecture for framed links. As another ap…
The (untwisted) oriented cube of resolutions for knot Floer homology assigns a complex $C_{F}(S)$ to a singular resolution $S$ of a knot $K$. Manolescu conjectured that when $S$ is in braid position, the homology $H_{*}(C_{F}(S))$ is isomorphic to the HOMFLY-PT homology of $S$. Together with a naturality condition on the induced edge maps, this conjecture would prove the spectral sequence from HOMFLY-PT homology to knot Floer homology. Using a basepoint filtration on $C_{F}(S)$, a recursion formula for HOMFLY-PT homology, and additional $sl_{n}$-like differentials on $C_{F}(S)$, we prove this …
In the planar limit of the 't Hooft expansion, the Wilson-loop average in 3d Chern-Simons theory (i.e. the HOMFLY polynomial) depends in a very simple way on representation (the Young diagram), so that the (knot-dependent) Ooguri-Vafa partition function becomes a trivial KP tau-function. We study higher genus corrections to this formula in the form of expansion in powers of z = q-q^{-1}. Expansion coefficients are expressed through the eigenvalues of the cut-and-join operators, i.e. symmetric group characters. Moreover, the z-expansion is naturally exponentiated. Representation through cut-and…
Murakami-Ohtsuki-Yamada introduced an evaluation of certain oriented planar trivalent graphs with colored edges. This evaluation plays a key role in the evaluation of the colored HOMFLY polynomial of a link in 3-space and its Khovanov-Rozansky categorification. Our goal is is to give a generating series formula for the evaluation of MOY graphs, which may be useful in categorification, and in the study of q-holonomicity of the colored HOMFLY polynomial.
The colored HOMLFY polynomial is an important knot invariant depending on two variables $a$ and $q$. We give bounds on the degree in both $a$ and $q$ generalizing Morton's bounds \cite{Mo86} for the ordinary HOMFLY polynomial. Our bounds suggest that the degree detects certain incompressible surfaces in the knot complement and perhaps more generally features of the $SL(N)$ character varieties of the knot group. We formulate a precise conjecture along these lines generalizing the slope conjecture of Garoufalidis \cite{Ga11}. We prove our conjecture for all positive knots. Our technique is a ref…
The interior polynomial is an invariant of (signed) bipartite graphs, and the interior polynomial of a plane bipartite graph is equal to a part of the HOMFLY polynomial of a naturally associated link. The HOMFLY polynomial $P_L(v,z)$ is a famous link invariant with many known properties. For example, the HOMFLY polynomial of the mirror image of $L$ is given by $P_{L}(-v^{-1},z)$. This implies a property of the interior polynomial in the planar case. We prove that the same property holds for any bipartite graph. The proof relies on Ehrhart reciprocity applied to the so called root polytope. We …
J.-B. Meilhan and the second author showed that any Milnor $\barμ$-invariant of length between 3 and $2k+1$ can be represented as a combination of HOMFLYPT polynomial of knots obtained by certain band sum of the link components, if all $\barμ$-invariants of length $\leq k$ vanish. They also showed that their formula does not hold for length $2k+2$. In this paper, we improve their formula to give the $\barμ$-invariants of length $2k+2$ by adding correction terms. The correction terms can be given by a combination of HOMFLYPT polynomial of knots determined by $\barμ$-invariants of length $k+1$. …
Colored HOMFLY-PT invariant, the generalization of the colored Jones polynomial, is one of the most important quantum invariants of links. This paper is devoted to investigating the basic structures of the colored HOMFLY-PT invariants of links. By using the HOMFLY-PT skein theory, firstly, we show that the (reformulated) colored HOMFLY-PT invariants actually lie in the ring $\mathbb{Z}[(q-q^{-1})^2,t^{\pm 1}]$. Secondly, we establish some symmetric formulas for colored HOMFLY-PT invariants of links, which include the rank-level duality as an easy consequence. Finally, motivated by the Labastid…
We establish relationships between two classes of invariants of Legendrian knots in $\mathbb{R}^3$: Representation numbers of the Chekanov-Eliashberg DGA and satellite ruling polynomials. For positive permutation braids, $β\subset J^1S^1$, we give a precise formula in terms of representation numbers for the $m$-graded ruling polynomial $R^m_{S(K,β)}(z)$ of the satellite of $K$ with $β$ specialized at $z=q^{1/2}-q^{-1/2}$ with $q$ a prime power, and we use this formula to prove that arbitrary $m$-graded satellite ruling polynomials, $R^m_{S(K,L)}$, are determined by the Chekanov-Eliashberg DGA …
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 operator on subdomains of these two spaces.
We show, using Mellit's recent results, that Kálmán's full twist formula for the HOMFLY polynomial can be generalized to a formula for superpolynomials in the case of positive toric braids.
With the help of the evolution method we calculate all HOMFLY polynomials in all symmetric representations [r] for a huge family of (generalized) pretzel links, which are made from g+1 two strand braids, parallel or antiparallel, and depend on g+1 integer numbers. We demonstrate that they possess a pronounced new structure: are decomposed into a sum of a product of g+1 elementary polynomials, which are obtained from the evolution eigenvalues by rotation with the help of rescaled SU_q(N) Racah matrix, for which we provide an explicit expression. The generalized pretzel family contains many muta…
We have recently proposed arXiv:2105.11565 a powerful method for computing group factors of the perturbative series expansion of the Wilson loop in the Chern-Simons theory with $SU(N)$ gauge group. In this paper, we apply the developed method to obtain and study various properties, including nonperturbative ones, of such vacuum expectation values. First, we discuss the computation of Vassiliev invariants. Second, we discuss the Vogel theorem of not distinguishing chord diagrams by weight systems coming from semisimple Lie (super)algebras. Third, we provide a method for constructing linear recu…
We conjecture an expression for the dimensions of the Khovanov-Rozansky HOMFLY homology groups of the link of a plane curve singularity in terms of the weight polynomials of Hilbert schemes of points scheme-theoretically supported on the singularity. The conjecture specializes to our previous conjecture relating the HOMFLY polynomial to the Euler numbers of the same spaces upon setting t = -1. By generalizing results of Piontkowski on the structure of compactified Jacobians to the case of Hilbert schemes of points, we give an explicit prediction of the HOMFLY homology of a (k, n) torus knot as…
Explicit answer is given for the HOMFLY polynomial of the figure eight knot $4_1$ in arbitrary symmetric representation R=[p]. It generalizes the old answers for p=1 and 2 and the recently derived results for p=3,4, which are fully consistent with the Ooguri-Vafa conjecture. The answer can be considered as a quantization of the σ_R = σ_{[1]}^{|R|} identity for the "special" polynomials (they define the leading asymptotics of HOMFLY at q=1), and arises in a form, convenient for comparison with the representation of the Jones polynomials as sums of dilogarithm ratios. In particular, we construct…
In this paper we announce the existence of a family of new $2$-variable polynomial invariants for oriented classical links defined via a Markov trace on the Yokonuma-Hecke algebra of type $A$. Yokonuma-Hecke algebras are generalizations of Iwahori-Hecke algebras, and this family contains the Homflypt polynomial, the famous $2$-variable invariant for classical links arising from the Iwahori-Hecke algebra of type $A$. We show that these invariants are topologically equivalent to the Homflypt polynomial on knots, but not on links, by providing pairs of Homflypt-equivalent links that are distingui…
We compute the vacuum expectation values of torus knot operators in Chern-Simons theory, and we obtain explicit formulae for all classical gauge groups and for arbitrary representations. We reproduce a known formula for the HOMFLY invariants of torus links and we obtain an analogous formula for Kauffman invariants. We also derive a formula for cable knots. We use our results to test a recently proposed conjecture that relates HOMFLY and Kauffman invariants.
This paper is a new step in the project of systematic description of colored knot polynomials started in arXiv:1506.00339. In this paper, we managed to explicitly find the inclusive Racah matrix, i.e. the whole set of mixing matrices in channels R^3->Q with all possible Q, for R=[3,1]. The calculation is made possible by the use of a newly-developed efficient highest-weight method, still it remains tedious. The result allows one to evaluate and investigate [3,1]-colored polynomials for arbitrary 3-strand knots, and this confirms many previous conjectures on various factorizations, universality…
In analogy with a recursive formula for the HOMFLY-PT polynomial of links given by Jaeger, we give a recursive formula for the graph polynomial introduced by Kauffman and Vogel. We show how this formula extends to the Khovanov-Rozansky graph homology.
We develop a diagrammatic formalism for calculating the Alexander polynomial of the closure of a braid as a state-sum. Our main tools are the Markov trace formulas for the HOMFLY-PT polynomial and Young's semi-normal representations of the Iwahori-Hecke algebras of type A.
The theory of Gauss diagrams and Gauss diagram formulas provides convenient ways to compute knot invariants, such as coefficients of the HOMFLYPT polynomial. In \cite{4,5}, the author uses Gauss diagram formulas to find combinatorial 1-cocycles in the moduli space of knots in the solid torus. Evaluated on canonical loops, one can then obtain new, non trivial knot invariants. In those books, the author conjectures that a new formula, based on the Vassiliev invariant $v_3$ also gives a 1-cocycle. We prove that it is in fact true by using the same methods developed by the author in those books.
A Gauss diagram is a simple, combinatorial way to present a link. It is known that any Vassiliev invariant may be obtained from a Gauss diagram formula that involves counting subdiagrams of certain combinatorial types. In this paper we present simple formulas for an infinite family of invariants in terms of counting surfaces of a certain genus and number of boundary components in a Gauss diagram associated with a closed braid. We then identify the resulting invariants with partial derivatives of the HOMFLY-PT polynomial.
A Gauss diagram is a simple, combinatorial way to present a knot. It is known that any Vassiliev invariant may be obtained from a Gauss diagram formula that involves counting (with signs and multiplicities) subdiagrams of certain combinatorial types. These formulas generalize the calculation of a linking number by counting signs of crossings in a link diagram. Until recently, explicit formulas of this type were known only for few invariants of low degrees. In this paper we present simple formulas for an infinite family of invariants in terms of counting surfaces of a certain genus and number o…
We describe the Polyak-Viro arrow diagram formulas for the coefficients of the Conway polynomial. As a consequence, we obtain the Conway polynomial as a state sum over some subsets of the crossings of the knot diagram. It turns out to be a simplification of a special case of Jaeger's state model for the HOMFLY polynomial.
If a knot is represented by an m-strand braid, then HOMFLY polynomial in representation R is a sum over characters in all representations Q\in R^{\otimes m}. Coefficients in this sum are traces of products of quantum R-matrices along the braid, but these matrices act in the space of intertwiners, and their size is equal to the multiplicity M_{RQ} of Q in R^{\otimes m}. If R is the fundamental representation R=[1], then M_{[1] Q} is equal to the number of paths in representation graph, which lead from the fundamental vertex [1] to the vertex Q. In the basis of paths the entries of the m-1 relev…
We give an explicit formula of the Alexander polynomial of the link obtained by adding an arbitrary number of full twists to positively oriented parallel n-strands in terms of the Alexander polynomials of the links obtained by adding 0,1,...,n-1 full twists. From this, we see that the Alexander polynomials stabilize after adding sufficiently many full twists. The main tool used in the computation is expressing the Alexander polynomial using the vector space representation of $U_{q}(gl(1|1))$.
A rational link may be represented by any of the (infinitely) many link diagrams corresponding to various continued fraction expansions of the same rational number. The continued fraction expansion of the rational number in which all signs are the same is called a {\em nonalternating form} and the diagram corresponding to it is a reduced alternating link diagram, which is minimum in terms of the number of crossings in the diagram. Famous formulas exist in the literature for the braid index of a rational link by Murasugi and for its HOMFLY polynomial by Lickorish and Millet, but these rely on a…
Using the recent Gauss diagram formulas for Vassiliev invariants of Polyak-Viro-Fiedler and combining these formulas with the Bennequin inequality, we prove several inequalities for positive knots relating their Vassiliev invariants, genus and degrees of the Jones polynomial. As a consequence, we prove that for any of the polynomials of Alexander/Conway, Jones, HOMFLY, Brandt-Lickorish-Millett-Ho and Kauffman there are only finitely many positive knots with the same polynomial and no positive knot with trivial polynomial. We also discuss an extension of the Bennequin inequality, showing that t…
Alexander polynomial arises in the leading term of a semi-classical Melvin-Morton-Rozansky expansion of colored knot polynomials. In this work, following the opposite direction, we propose how to reconstruct colored HOMFLY-PT polynomials, superpolynomials, and newly introduced $\widehat{Z}$ invariants for some knot complements, from an appropriate rewriting, quantization and deformation of Alexander polynomial. Along this route we rederive conjectural expressions for the above mentioned invariants for various knots obtained recently, thereby proving their consistency with the Melvin-Morton-Roz…
Knot matrix models are defined so that the averages of characters are equal to knot polynomials. From this definition one can extract single trace averages and generation functions for them in the group rank - which generalize the celebrated Harer-Zagier formulas for Hermitian matrix model. We describe the outcome of this program for HOMFLY-PT polynomials of various knots. In particular, we claim that the Harer-Zagier formulas for torus knots factorize nicely, but this does not happen for other knots. This fact is mysteriously parallel to existence of explicit beta = 1 eigenvalue model constru…
Twisted torus links are given by twisting a subset of strands on a closed braid representative of a torus link. T--links are a natural generalization, given by repeated positive twisting. We establish a one-to-one correspondence between positive braid representatives of Lorenz links and T--links, so Lorenz links and T--links coincide. Using this correspondence, we identify over half of the simplest hyperbolic knots as Lorenz knots. We show that both hyperbolic volume and the Mahler measure of Jones polynomials are bounded for infinite collections of hyperbolic Lorenz links. The correspondence …
We introduce a pair of isospectral but non-isometric compact flat 3-manifolds called Tetra (a tetracosm) and Didi (a didicosm). The closed geodesics of Tetra and Didi are very different. Where Tetra has two quarter-twisting geodesics of the shortest length, Didi has four half-twisting geodesics. Nevertheless, these spaces are isospectral. This isospectrality can be proven directly by matching eigenfunctions having the same eigenvalue. However, the real interest of this pair--and what led us to discover it--is the way isospectrality emerges from the Selberg trace formula, as the result of a del…