We develop an algebraic representation for (1,1)-knots using the mapping class group of the twice punctured torus MCG(T,2). We prove that every (1,1)-knot in a lens space L(p,q) can be represented by the composition of an element of a certain rank two free subgroup of MCG(T,2) with a standard element only depending on the ambient space. As a notable examples, we obtain a representation of this type for all torus knots and for all two-bridge knots. Moreover, we give explicit cyclic presentations for the fundamental groups of the cyclic branched coverings of torus knots of type (k,ck+2).
This paper gives a new obstruction for ribbon-move equivalence of 2-knots. Let $K$ and $K'$ be 2-knots. Let $K$ and $K'$ are ribbon-move equivalent. One corollary to our main theorem is as follows. A 2-dimensional fibered knot whose fiber is the punctured 3-dimensional torus is not ribbon-move equivalent to any 2-dimensional knot whose Seifert hypersurface is a punctured homology sphere.
We determine the non-null homologous knots in lens spaces whose exteriors contain properly embedded once-punctured tori. All such knots arise as surgeries on the Whitehead link and are grid number 1 in their lens spaces. As a corollary, we classify once-punctured torus bundles that admit a lens space filling.
Let $D_n$ be the $n$-punctured disk. We prove that a family of essential simple arcs starting and ending at the boundary and pairwise intersecting at most twice is of size at most $\binom{n+1}{3}$. On the way, we also show that any nontrivial square complex homeomorphic to a disk whose hyperplanes are simple arcs intersecting at most twice must have a corner or a spur.
We investigate the structure of the tri-pants graph, a simplicial graph introduced by Maloni and Palesi, whose vertices correspond to particular collections of homotopy classes of simple closed curves of the twice-punctured torus, called tri-pants, and whose edges connect two vertices whenever the corresponding pants differ by suitable elementary moves. In particular, by examining the relationship between the tri-pants graph and the dual of the Farey complex, we prove that the tri-pants graph is connected and has infinite diameter.
A string figure is topologically a trivial knot lying on an imaginary plane orthogonal to the fingers with some crossings. The fingers prevent cancellation of these crossings. As a mathematical model of string figure we consider a knot diagram on the $xy$-plane in $xyz$-space missing some straight lines parallel to the $z$-axis. These straight lines correspond to fingers. We study minimal number of crossings of these knot diagrams under Reidemeister moves missing these lines.
For a closed 4-manifold $X$ and a knot $K$ in the boundary of punctured $X$, we define $γ_X^0(K)$ to be the smallest first Betti number of non-orientable and null-homologous surfaces in punctured $X$ with boundary $K$. Note that $γ^0_{S^4}$ is equal to the non-orientable 4-ball genus and hence $γ^0_X$ is a generalization of the non-orientable 4-ball genus. While it is very likely that for given $X$, $γ^0_X$ has no upper bound, it is difficult to show it. In fact, even in the case of $γ^0_{S^4}$, its non-boundedness was shown for the first time by Batson in 2012. In this paper, we prove that fo…
In this paper we study exceptional Dehn fillings on hyperbolic knot manifolds which contain an essential once-punctured torus. Let $M$ be such a knot manifold and let $β$ be the boundary slope of such an essential once-punctured torus. We prove that if Dehn filling $M$ with slope $α$ produces a Seifert fibred manifold, then $Δ(α,β)\leq 5$. Furthermore we classify the triples $(M; α,β)$ when $\D(α,β)\geq 4$. More precisely, when $\D(α,β)=5$, then $M$ is the (unique) manifold $Wh(-3/2)$ obtained by Dehn filling one boundary component of the Whitehead link exterior with slope -3/2, and $(α, β)$ i…
We show that if a hyperbolic knot manifold $M$ contains an essential twice-punctured torus $F$ with boundary slope $β$ and admits a filling with slope $α$ producing a Seifert fibred space, then the distance between the slopes $α$ and $β$ is less than or equal to $5$ unless $M$ is the exterior of the figure eight knot. The result is sharp; the bound of $5$ can be realized on infinitely many hyperbolic knot manifolds. We also determine distance bounds in the case that the fundamental group of the $α$-filling contains no non-abelian free group. The proofs are divided into the four cases $F$ is a …
We consider knots and links in handlebodies that have hyperbolic complements and operations akin to composition. Cutting the complements of two such open along separating twice-punctured disks such that each of the four resulting handlebodies has positive genus, and gluing a pair of pieces together along the twice-punctured disks in their boundaries, we show the result is also hyperbolic. This should be contrasted with composition of any pair of knots in the 3-sphere, which is never hyperbolic. Similar results are obtained when both twice-punctured disks are in the same handlebody and we glue …
The Maskit embedding M of a surface Σis the space of geometrically finite groups on the boundary of quasifuchsian space for which the `top' end is homeomorphic to Σ, while the `bottom' end consists of two triply punctured spheres, the remains of Σwhen two fixed disjoint curves have been pinched. As such representations vary in the character variety, the conformal structure on the top side varies over the Teichmüller space T(Σ). We investigate M when Σis a twice punctured torus, using the method of pleating rays. Fix a projective measure class [μ] supported on closed curves on Σ. The pleating r…
We calculate the asymptotic behavior of the Kashaev invariant of a twice-itarated torus knot and obtain topological interpretation of the formula in terms of the Chern--Simons invariant and the twisted Reidemeister torsion.
We investigate the properties of knots in S^3 which bound Klein bottles, such that a pushoff of the knot has zero linking number with the knot, i.e. has zero framing. This is motivated by the many results in the literature regarding slice knots of genus one, for example, the existence of homologically essential zero self-linking simple closed curves on genus one Seifert surfaces for algebraically slice knots. Given a knot K bounding a Klein bottle F with zero framing, we show that J, the core of the orientation-preserving band in any disk-band form of F, has zero self-linking. We prove that su…
We propose a method to compute complex volume of 2-bridge link complements. Our construction sheds light on a relationship between cluster variables with coefficients and canonical decompositions of link complements.
Let F a closed connected orientable surface bounding a genus g handlebody H. In this paper we find a finite set of generators for the subgroup E(2,g) of the pure mapping class group of the twice punctured torus PMCG(2,g), consisting of the isotopy classes of homeomorphisms of F which admit an extension to H keeping a properly embedded trivial arc fixed. This subgroup turns out to be important for the study of knots in closed 3-manifolds via (g,1)-decomposition. In fact, the knots represented by the isotopy classes belonging to the same left cosets of E(2,g) in PMCG(2,g) are equivalent.
We describe a strategy for constructing reduced Khovanov homology for links in lens spaces by generalizing a symplectic interpretation of reduced Khovanov homology for links in $S^3$ due to Hedden, Herald, Hogancamp, and Kirk. The strategy relies on a partly conjectural description of the Fukaya category of the traceless $SU(2)$ character variety of the 2-torus with two punctures. From a diagram of a 1-tangle in a solid torus, we construct a corresponding object $(X,δ)$ in the $A_\infty$ category of twisted complexes over this Fukaya category. The homotopy type of $(X,δ)$ is an isotopy invaria…
Supose that $Y$ is a lens space with $|H_1(Y; \mathbb{Z})|$ prime, and $Y$ does not contain a genus one fibered knot. We show that $Y$ contains a knot whose exterior is a once-punctured torus bundle if and only if $Y$ is the result of $p/q$-surgery on the trefoil. This partially answers a question posed by Ken Baker in a paper in which he gives a complete classification of genus one fibered knots contained in lens spaces. Combining Baker's classification with Moser's characterization of lens space surgeries on the trefoil, we generate an infinite family of lens spaces which do not contain any …
A generalization of the volume conjecture relates the asymptotic behavior of the colored Jones polynomial of a knot to the Chern--Simons invariant and the Reidemeister torsion of the knot complement associated with a representation of the fundamental group to the special linear group of degree two over complex numbers. If the knot is hyperbolic, the representation can be regarded as a deformation of the holonomy representation that determines the complete hyperbolic structure. In this article we study a similar phenomenon when the knot is a twice-iterated torus knot. In this case, the asymptot…
Gang, Kim and Yoon have recently proposed a conjecture on a vanishing identity of adjoint Reidemeister torsions of hyperbolic 3-manifolds with torus boundary, from the viewpoint of wrapped M5-branes. In this paper, we provide infinitely many new supporting examples to this conjecture. These examples come from hyperbolic once-punctured torus bundles. We show that the vanishing identity holds for all hyperbolic once-punctured torus bundles with tunnel number one. We also show the vanishing identity does not hold for any torus knot exteriors.
We give a combinatorial description of the Legendrian differential graded algebra associated to a Legendrian knot in PxR, where P is a punctured Riemann surface. As an application we show that for any integer k and any homology class h in H_1(PxR) there are k Legendrian knots all representing h which are pairwise smoothly isotopic through a formal Legendrian isotopy but which lie in mutually distinct Legendrian isotopy classes.
This paper gives the first explicit, two-sided estimates on the cusp area of once-punctured torus bundles, 4-punctured sphere bundles, and 2-bridge link complements. The input for these estimates is purely combinatorial data coming from the Farey tesselation of the hyperbolic plane. The bounds on cusp area lead to explicit bounds on the volume of Dehn fillings of these manifolds, for example sharp bounds on volumes of hyperbolic closed 3-braids in terms of the Schreier normal form of the associated braid word. Finally, these results are applied to derive relations between the Jones polynomial …
A knot in S^3 is said to have crosscap number two if it bounds a once-punctured Klein bottle but not a Moebius band. In this paper we give a method of constructing crosscap number two hyperbolic (1,2)-knots with tunnel number one which are neither 2-bridge nor (1,1)-knots. An explicit infinite family of such knots is discussed in detail.
We define an elementary relatively $\mathbb Z/4$ graded Lagrangian-Floer chain complex for restricted immersions of compact 1-manifolds into the pillowcase, and apply it to the intersection diagram obtained by taking traceless $SU(2)$ character varieties of 2-tangle decompositions of knots. Calculations for torus knots are explained in terms of pictures in the punctured plane. The relation to the reduced instanton homology of knots is explored.
M. Scharlemann has recently proved that any genus one tunnel number one knot is either a satellite or 2-bridge knot, as conjectured by H. Goda and M. Teragaito; all such knots admit a (1,1) decomposition. In this paper we give a classification of the family of (1,1) knots in $S^3$ with crosscap number two (i.e., bounding an essential once-punctured Klein bottle).
We present two different representations of (1,1)-knots and study some connections between them. The first representation is algebraic: every (1,1)-knot is represented by an element of the pure mapping class group of the twice punctured torus. The second representation is parametric: every (1,1)-knot can be represented by a 4-tuple of integer parameters. The strict connection of this representation with the class of Dunwoody manifolds is illustrated. The above representations are explicitly obtained in some interesting cases, including two-bridge knots and torus knots.
Recent work of Chinburg, Reid, and Stover has shown that certain arithmetic and algebro-geometric properties of the character variety of a hyperbolic knot complement in the 3-sphere $M=S^3\setminus K$ yields topological and number theoretic information about Dehn fillings of M. Specifically, they show how the study of a certain extension problem for quaternion Azumaya algebras is related to topological invariants associated to these fillings. In this paper, we extend their work to the setting of hyperbolic once punctured torus bundles. Along the way, we exhibit new phenomenon in the relevant e…
We show that every strongly-cyclic branched covering of a (1,1)-knot is a Dunwoody manifold. This result, together with the converse statement previously obtained by Grasselli and Mulazzani, proves that the class of Dunwoody manifolds coincides with the class of strongly-cyclic branched coverings of (1,1)-knots. As a consequence, we obtain a parametrization of (1,1)-knots by 4-tuples of integers. Moreover, using a representation of (1,1)-knots by the mapping class group of the twice punctured torus, we provide an algorithm which gives the parametrization of all torus knots.
We show that the triple-crossing number of any knot is greater or equal to twice its (canonical) genus and we show an even stronger bound in the case of links. As an application we show that this bound is strong enough to obtain the triple-crossing numbers of all torus knots, and of many more knots and their connected sums.
We study the connections among the mapping class group of the twice punctured torus, the cyclic branched coverings of (1,1)-knots and the cyclic presentations of groups. We give the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of the n-fold strongly-cyclic branched coverings of (1,1)-knots, through the elements of the mapping class group. We prove that every n-fold strongly-cyclic branched covering of a (1,1)-knot admits a cyclic presentation for the fundamental group, arising from a Heegaard splitting of genus n. Moreover, we give an algorithm to produce the cyclic pre…
We calculate the virtually-cyclic dimension of the mapping class group of a sphere with at most six punctures. As an immediate consequence, we obtain the virtually-cyclic dimension of the mapping class group of the twice-holed torus and of the closed genus-two surface.
We prove that for 2-bridge knots, the diameter, D, of the set of boundary slopes is twice the crossing number, c. This constitutes partial verification of a conjecture that, for all knots in S^3, D is at most 2c.
We study a topological aspect of rank-1 double affine Hecke algebra (DAHA). Clarified is a relationship between the DAHA of A1-type (resp. CC1-type) and the skein algebra on a once-punctured torus (resp. a 4-punctured sphere), and the SL(2;Z) actions of DAHAs are identified with the Dehn twists on the surfaces. Combining these two types of DAHA, we construct the DAHA representation for the skein algebra on a genus-two surface, and we propose a DAHA polynomial for a double-torus knot, which is a simple closed curve on a genus two Heegaard surface in S3. Discussed is a relationship between the D…
Let $\textup{H}_g$ be a genus $g$ handlebody and $\textup{MCG}_{2n}(\textup{T}_g)$ be the group of the isotopy classes of orientation preserving homeomorphisms of $\textup{T}_g=\partial\textup{H}_g$, fixing a given set of $2n$ points. In this paper we find a finite set of generators for $\mathcal{E}_{2n}^g$, the subgroup of $\textup{MCG}_{2n}(\textup{T}_g)$ consisting of the isotopy classes of homeomorphisms of $\textup{T}_g$ admitting an extension to the handlebody and keeping fixed the union of $n$ disjoint properly embedded trivial arcs. This result generalizes a previous one obtained by th…
As one of the background papers of the classification project of hyperbolic primitive/Seifert knots in $S^3$ whose complete list is given in [BK20], this paper classifies all possible R-R diagrams of two disjoint simple closed curves $R$ and $β$ lying in the boundary of a genus two handlebody $H$ up to equivalence such that $β$ is a proper power curve and a 2-handle addition $H[R]$ along $R$ embeds in $S^3$ so that $H[R]$ is the exterior of a tunnel-number-one knot. As a consequence, if $R$ is a nonseparating simple closed curve on the boundary of a genus two handlebody such that $H[R]$ embeds…
Let $M$ be a once-punctured torus bundle over $S^1$ with monodromy $h$. We show that, under certain hypotheses on $h$, "most" Dehn-fillings of $M$ (in some cases all but finitely many) are virtually $\mathbb{Z}$-representable. We apply our results to show that surgeries on the figure-eight knot with even numerator are virtually $\mathbb{Z}$-representable.
Suppose $K$ is a hyperbolic knot in a solid torus $V$ intersecting a meridian disk $D$ twice. We will show that if $K$ is not the Whitehead knot and the frontier of a regular neighborhood of $K \cup D$ is incompressible in the knot exterior, then $K$ admits at most one exceptional surgery, which must be toroidal. Embedding $V$ in $S^3$ gives infinitely many knots $K_n$ with a slope $r_n$ corresponding to a slope $r$ of $K$ in $V$. If $r$ surgery on $K$ in $V$ is toroidal then either all but at most three $K_n(r_n)$ are toroidal, or they are all reducible or small Seifert fibered with two commo…
Given a 2-stranded tangle in a $\ZZ/2$ homology ball, $T\subset Y$, we investigate the character variety $R(Y,T)$ of conjugacy classes of traceless SU(2) representations of $π_1(Y\setminus T)$. In particular we completely determine the subspace of binary dihedral representations, and identify all of $R(Y,T)$ for many tangles naturally associated to knots in S^3. Moreover, we determine the image of the restriction map from $R(T,Y)$ to the traceless SU(2) character variety of the 4-punctured 2-sphere (the {\it pillowcase}). We give examples to show this image can be non-linear in general, and sh…
An irreducible 3--manifold with torus boundary either is a Seifert fibered space or admits at most three lens space fillings according to the Cyclic Surgery Theorem. We examine the sharpness of this theorem by classifying the non-hyperbolic manifolds with more than one lens space filling, classifying the hyperbolic manifolds obtained by filling of the Minimally Twisted 5 Chain complement that have three lens space fillings, showing that the doubly primitive knots in $S^3$ and $S^1 \times S^2$ have no unexpected extra lens space surgery, and showing that the Figure Eight Knot Sister Manifold is…
We define the extremal length of elements of the fundamental group of the twice punctured complex plane and give upper and lower bounds for this invariant. The bounds differ by a multiplicative constant. The main motivation comes from $3$-braid invariants and their application.
This work continues the study of a homotopy-theoretic construction of the author inspired by the Bott-Taubes integrals. Bott and Taubes constructed knot invariants by integrating differential forms along the fiber of a bundle over the space of knots. Their techniques were later used by Cattaneo et al. to construct real "Vassiliev-type" cohomology classes in spaces of knots in higher-dimensional Euclidean space. By doing this integration via a Pontrjagin-Thom construction, we constructed cohomology classes in the knot space with arbitrary coefficients. We later showed that a refinement of this …
We calculate the knot invariant coming from the Teichmüller TQFT [AK1]. Specifically we calculate the knot invariant for the complement of the knot $6_1$ both in the original [AK1] and the new formulation of the Teichmüller TQFT [AK2] for the one-vertex H-triangulation of $(S^3,6_1)$. We show that the two formulations give equivalent answers. Furthermore we apply a formal stationary phase analysis and arrive at the Andersen- Kashaev volume conjecture as stated in [AK1, Conj. 1]. Furthermore we calculate the first examples of knot complements in the new formulation showing that the new formulat…
We introduce explicit holonomy perturbations of the Chern-Simons functional on a 3-ball containing a pair of unknotted arcs. These perturbations give us a concrete local method for making the moduli spaces of flat singular SO(3) connections relevant to Kronheimer and Mrowka's singular instanton knot homology non-degenerate. The mechanism for this study is a (Lagrangian) intersection diagram which arises, through restriction of representations, from a tangle decomposition of a knot. When one of the tangles is trivial, our perturbations allow us to study isolated intersections of two Lagrangians…
This article was submitted to a volume under preparation, with Benson Farb as the editor, on the topic of open problems in surface mapping class groups. The braid group B_n is the mapping class group of an n-times punctured disk. The Iwahori-Hecke algebra H_n is a quotient of the braid group algebra of B_n by a quadratic relation in the standard generators. We discuss how to use H_n to define the Jones polynomial of a knot or link. We also summarize the classification of the irreducible representations of H_n. We conclude with some directions for future research that would apply mapping class …
In the present paper, we define an invariant of free links valued in a free product of some copies of $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$. In \cite{Ma2} the second named author constructed a connection between classical braid group and group presentation generated by elements corresponding to horizontal trisecants. This approach does not apply to links nor tangles because it requires that when counting trisecants, we have the same number of points at each level. For general tangles, trisecants passing through one component twice may occur. Free links can be obtained from tangles by attaching two end points of ea…
