A celebrated theorem of Kirby identifies the set of closed oriented connected 3-manifolds with the set of framed links in $S^3$ modulo two moves. We give a similar description for the set of knots (and more generally, boundary links) in homology 3-spheres. As an application, we define a noncommutative version of the Alexander polynomial of a boundary link. Our surgery view of boundary links is a key ingredient in a construction of a rational version of the Kontsevich integral, which is described in subsequent work. The current version fixes minor typographical errors.
We introduce a homology surgery problem in dimension 3 which has the property that the vanishing of its algebraic obstruction leads to a canonical class of π-algebraically-split links in 3-manifolds with fundamental group π. Using this class of links, we define a theory of finite type invariants of 3-manifolds in such a way that invariants of degree 0 are precisely those of conventional algebraic topology and surgery theory. When finite type invariants are reformulated in terms of clovers, we deduce upper bounds for the number of invariants in terms of π-decorated trivalent graphs. We also con…
We show that the Kauffman bracket skein modules of certain manifolds obtained from integral surgery on a (2,2b) torus link are finitely generated, and list the generators for select examples.
For any n\ge 2, we give infinitely many unsplittable links of n components in the 3-sphere which admit non-trivial surgery yielding the 3-sphere again and whose components are mutually distinct hyperbolic knots. Berge and Kawauchi gave 2-component hyperbolic links with those two properties. We can also give infinitely many 2-component hyperbolic tunnel number one links with such properties.
We consider surgery moves along (n+1)-component Brunnian links in compact connected oriented 3-manifolds, where the framing of the each component is 1/k for k in Z. We show that no finite type invariant of degree < 2n-2 can detect such a surgery move. The case of two link-homotopic Brunnian links is also considered. We relate finite type invariants of integral homology spheres obtained by such operations to Goussarov-Vassiliev invariants of Brunnian links.
This article is solicited by C.\ Adams for a special issue of {\it Chaos, Solitons and Fractals\/} devoted to knot theory and its applications. We present some recent results about Dehn surgeries on arborescent knots and links.
Using Kirby Calculus, we explicitly pass from Berge's R-R descriptions of ten families of knots with lens space surgeries to surgery descriptions on the minimally twisted five chain link (MT5C). Since the MT5C admits a strong involution, we also give the corresponding tangle descriptions.
In this paper we construct invariants of 3-manifolds "à la Reshetikhin-Turaev" in the setting of non-semi-simple ribbon tensor categories. We give concrete examples of such categories which lead to a family of 3-manifold invariants indexed by the integers. We prove this family of invariants has several notable features, including: they can be computed via a set of axioms, they distinguish homotopically equivalent manifolds that the standard Reshetikhin-Turaev-Witten invariants do not, and they allow the statement of a version of the Volume Conjecture and a proof of this conjecture for an infin…
We use topological surgery in dimension four to give sufficient conditions for the zero framed surgery manifold of a 3-component link to be homology cobordant to the 3-torus, which arises from zero framed surgery on the Borromean rings, via a topological homology cobordism preserving the homotopy classes of the meridians. This enables us to give new examples of 3-component links with unknotted components and vanishing pairwise linking numbers, such that any two of these links have homology cobordant zero surgeries in the above sense, but the zero surgery manifolds are not homeomorphic. Moreove…
The surgery unknotting number of a Legendrian link is defined as the minimal number of particular oriented surgeries that are required to convert the link into a Legendrian unknot. Lower bounds for the surgery unknotting number are given in terms of classical invariants of the Legendrian link. The surgery unknotting number is calculated for every Legendrian link that is topologically a twist knot or a torus link and for every positive, Legendrian rational link. In addition, the surgery unknotting number is calculated for every Legendrian knot in the Legendrian knot atlas of Chongchitmate and N…
We study the effect of Nielsen moves and their geometric counterparts, handle slides, on good boundary links. A collection of links, universal for 4-dimensional surgery, is shown to admit Seifert surfaces with trivial Lagrangian. They are good boundary links, with Seifert matrices of a more general form than in known constructions of slice links. We show that a certain more restrictive condition on Seifert matrices is sufficient for proving the links are slice. We also give a correction of a Kirby calculus identity in \cite{FK2}, useful for constructing surgery kernels associated to link-slice…
We consider a relation between two kinds of unknotting numbers defined by using a band surgery on unoriented knots; the band-unknotting number and H(2)-unknotting number, which we may characterize in terms of the first Betti number of surfaces in S^3 spanning the knot and the trivial knot. We also give several examples for these numbers.
Fintushel-Stern's knot surgery gave many pairs of exotic manifolds, which are homeomorphic but non-diffeomorphic. We show that if an elliptic fibration has two parallel, oppositely oriented vanishing circles (for example $S^2\times S^2$ or Matsumoto's $S^4$), then the knot surgery gives rise to standard manifolds. The diffeomorphism can give an alternative proof that Scharlemann's manifold is standard (originally by Akbulut [Ak1]).
It is shown that any closed three-manifold M obtained by integral surgery on a knot in the three-sphere can always be constructed from integral surgeries on a 3-component link L with each component being an unknot in the three-sphere. It is also interesting to notice that infinitely many different integral surgeries on the same link L could give the same three-manifold M.
Let $H\subseteq S^3$ be the two-component Hopf link. After choosing a Legendrian representative of $H$ with respect to the standard tight contact structure on $S^3$ we perform contact $(-1)$-surgery on the link itself. The manifold we get is a lens space together with a tight contact strucure on it, which depends on the chosen Legendrian representative. We classify its minimal symplectic fillings up to homeomorphism (and often up to diffeomoprhism), extending the results of Lisca which covers the case of universally tight structures and the article of Plamenevskaya - Van Horn Morris which desc…
In this paper, we analyze L-space surgeries on two component L-space links. We show that if one surgery coefficient is negative for the L-space surgery, then the corresponding link component is an unknot. If the link admits very negative (i.e. $d_{1}, d_{2}\ll0$) L-space surgeries, it is the Hopf link. We also give a way to characterize the torus link $T(2, 2l)$ by observing an L-space surgery $S^{3}_{d_{1}, d_{2}}(\mathcal{L})$ with $d_{1}d_{2}<0$ on a 2-component L-space link with unknotted components. For some 2-component L-space links, we give explicit descriptions of the L-space surgery s…
We study Heegaard Floer homology and various related invariants (such as the $h$-function) for two-component L-space links with linking number zero. For such links, we explicitly describe the relationship between the $h$-function, the Sato-Levine invariant and the Casson invariant. We give a formula for the Heegaard Floer $d$-invariants of integral surgeries on two-component L-space links of linking number zero in terms of the $h$-function, generalizing a formula of Ni and Wu. As a consequence, for such links with unknotted components, we characterize L-space surgery slopes in terms of the $ν^…
We show that quasi-alternating links arise naturally when considering surgery on a strongly invertible L-space knot (that is, a knot that yields an L-space for some Dehn surgery). In particular, we show that for many known classes of L-space knots, every sufficiently large surgery may be realized as the two-fold branched cover of a quasi-alternating link. Consequently, there is considerable overlap between L-spaces obtained by surgery on $S^3$, and L-spaces resulting as two-fold branched covers of quasi-alternating links. By adapting this approach to certain Seifert fibered spaces, it is possi…
In a talk at the Cornell Topology Festival in 2005, W. Thurston discussed a graph which we call "The Big Dehn Surgery Graph", B. Here we explore this graph, particularly the link of S^3, and prove facts about the geometry and topology of B. We also investigate some interesting subgraphs and pose what we believe are important questions about B.
Let $M_λ$ be the $λ$-component Milnor link. For $λ\ge 3$, we determine completely when a finite slope surgery along $M_λ$ yields a lens space including $S^3$ and $S^1\times S^2$, where {\it finite slope surgery} implies that a surgery coefficient of every component is not $\infty$. For $λ=3$ (i.e.\ the Borromean rings), there are three infinite sequences of finite slope surgeries yielding lens spaces. For $λ\ge 4$, any finite slope surgery does not yield a lens space. As a corollary, $M_λ$ for $λ\ge 3$ does not yield both $S^3$ and $S^1\times S^2$ by any finite slope surgery. We generalize the…
For any knot T transverse to a given contact structure on a 3-manifold, we exhibit a Legendrian two-component link such that T equals the transverse push-off of one of the link components and contact (+1)-surgery on the link has the same effect as a Lutz twist along T.
We determine lens surgeries (i.e.\ Dehn surgery yielding a lens space) along the $n$-twisted Whitehead link. To do so, we first give necessary conditions to yield a lens space from the Alexander polynomial of the link as: (1) $n=1$ (i.e. the Whitehead link), and (2) one of surgery coefficients is 1, 2 or 3. Our interests are not only lens surgery itself but also how to apply the Alexander polynomial for this kind of problems.
We introduce the concept of `claspers,' which are surfaces in 3-manifolds with some additional structure on which surgery operations can be performed. Using claspers we define for each positive integer k an equivalence relation on links called `C_k-equivalence,' which is generated by surgery operations of a certain kind called `C_k-moves'. We prove that two knots in the 3-sphere are C_{k+1}-equivalent if and only if they have equal values of Vassiliev-Goussarov invariants of type k with values in any abelian groups. This result gives a characterization in terms of surgery operations of the inf…
This largely technical paper is divided into two parts: part I: An account of P. Ozsvath and Z. Szabo's construction of the link surgery spectral sequence. There are no new results here, but this part slightly modifies and expands their proof and is included as an aid to part II. part II: Some modifications of the spectral sequence suitable for knot Floer homology; an exposition of the invariance of the spectral sequence, under a suitable equivalence, from alterations of the underlying bouquet; and an account of the morphisms induced on the spectral sequences by suitable four dimensional cobor…
We consider knots equipped with a representation of their knot groups onto a dihedral group D_{2n} (where n is odd). To each such knot there corresponds a closed 3-manifold, the (irregular) dihedral branched covering space, with the branching set over the knot forming a link in it. We report a variety of results relating to the problem of passing from the initial data of a D_{2n}-coloured knot to a surgery presentation of the corresponding branched covering space and covering link. In particular, we describe effective algorithms for constructing such presentations. A by-product of these invest…
We define a decomposition of link projections whose pieces we call atoroidal graphs. We describe a surgery operation on these graphs and show that all atoroidal graphs can be generated by performing surgery repeatedly on a family of well known link projections. This gives a method of enumerating atoroidal graphs and hence link projections by recomposing the pieces of the decomposition.
Let $L$ be an $n$-component link ($n>1$) with pairwise nonzero linking numbers in a rational homology $3$-sphere $Y$. Assume the link complement $X:=Y\setminusν(L)$ has nondegenerate Thurston norm. In this paper, we study when a Thurston norm-minimizing surface $S$ properly embedded in $X$ remains norm-minimizing after Dehn filling all boundary components of $X$ according to $\partial S$ and capping off $\partial S$ by disks. In particular, for $n=2$ the capped-off surface is norm-minimizing when $[S]$ lies outside of a finite set of rays in $H_2(X,\partial X;\mathbb{R})$. When $Y$ is an integ…
In this paper we describe braid equivalence for knots and links in a 3-manifold $M$ obtained by rational surgery along a framed link in $S^3$. We first prove a sharpened version of the Reidemeister theorem for links in $M$. We then give geometric formulations of the braid equivalence via mixed braids in $S^3$ using the $L$-moves and the braid band moves. We finally give algebraic formulations in terms of the mixed braid groups $B_{m,n}$ using cabling and the techniques of parting and combing for mixed braids. We also provide concrete formuli of the braid equivalence in the case where $M$ is a …
We provide an upper bound on the Cheeger constant and first eigenvalue of the Laplacian of a finite-volume hyperbolic 3-manifold M, in terms of data from any surgery diagram for M. This has several consequences. We prove that a family of hyperbolic alternating link complements is expanding if and only if they have bounded volume. We also provide examples of hyperbolic 3-manifolds which require 'complicated' surgery diagrams, thereby proving that a recent theorem of Constantino and Thurston is sharp. Along the way, we find a new upper bound on the bridge number of a knot that is not tangle comp…
To a link L in the 3-sphere, we associate a spectral sequence whose E^2 page is the reduced Khovanov homology of L and which converges to a version of the monopole Floer homology of the branched double cover. The pages E^k for k > 1 depend only on the mutation equivalence class of L. We define a mod 2 grading on the spectral sequence which interpolates between the delta-grading on Khovanov homology and the mod 2 grading on Floer homology. We also derive a new formula for link signature that is well-adapted to Khovanov homology. More generally, we construct new bigraded invariants of a framed l…
We first present three graphic surgery formulae for the degree $n$ part $Z_n$ of the Kontsevich-Kuperberg-Thurston universal finite type invariant of rational homology spheres. Each of these three formulae determines an alternate sum of the form $$\sum_{I \subset N} (-1)^{\sharp I}Z_n(M_I)$$ where $N$ is the set of components of a framed algebraically split link $L$ in a rational homology sphere $M$, and $M_I$ denotes the manifold resulting from the Dehn surgeries on the components of $I$. The first formula treats the case when $L$ is a boundary link with $n$ components, while the second one i…
We prove that a sufficiently large surgery on any algebraic link is an L-space. For torus links we give a complete classification of integer surgery coefficients providing L-spaces.
We consider in this paper the minimally twisted chain link with 5 components in the 3-sphere, and we analyze the Dehn surgeries on it, namely the Dehn fillings on its exterior M5. The 3-manifold M5 is a nicely symmetric hyperbolic one, filling which one gets a wealth of hyperbolic 3-manifolds having 4 or fewer (including 0) cusps. In view of Thurston's hyperbolic Dehn filling theorem it is then natural to face the problem of classifying all the exceptional fillings on M5, namely those yielding non-hyperbolic 3-manifolds. Here we completely solve this problem, also showing that, thanks to the s…
For a compact connected 3-submanifold with connected boundary in the 3-sphere, we relate the existence of a Seifert surface system for a surface with a Dehn surgery along a null-homologous link. As its corollary, we obtain a refinement of the Fox's re-embedding theorem.
A clover is a framed trivalent graph with some additional structure, embedded in a 3-manifold. We define surgery on clovers, generalizing surgery on Y-graphs used earlier by the second author to define a new theory of finite-type invariants of 3--manifolds. We give a systematic exposition of a topological calculus of clovers and use it to deduce some important results about the corresponding theory of finite type invariants. In particular, we give a description of the weight systems in terms of uni-trivalent graphs modulo the AS and IHX relations, reminiscent of the similar results for links. …
A formula for the Arf invariant of a link is given in terms of the singularities of an immersed surface bounded by the link. This is applied to study the computational complexity of quantum invariants of 3--manifolds.
We show that if the branched double cover of an alternating link arises as $p/q \in \mathbb{Q} \setminus \mathbb{Z}$ surgery on a knot in $S^3$, then this is exhibited by a rational tangle replacement in an alternating diagram.
We show that if $p/q$-surgery on a nontrivial knot $K$ yields the branched double cover of an alternating knot or link, then $|p/q|\leq 4g(K)+3$. This generalises a bound for lens space surgeries first established by Rasmussen. We also show that all surgery coefficients yielding the double branched cover of an alternating knot or link must be contained in an interval of width two and this full range can be realised only if $K$ is a cable knot. The work of Greene and Gibbons shows that if $S^3_{p/q}(K)$ bounds a sharp 4-manifold $X$, then the intersection form of $X$ takes the form of a changem…
We recall an extension of Kirby's Calculus on non-simply connected 3-manifolds given in [FR], and the surgery calculus of bridged links from [Ke], which involves only local moves. We give a short combinatorial proof that the two calculi are equivalent, and thus describe the same classes of 3-manifolds. This makes the proofs for the validity of surgery calculi in [FR] and [Ke] interchangeable.
We construct the first examples of asymmetric L-space knots in $S^3$. More specifically, we exhibit a construction of hyperbolic knots in $S^3$ with both (i) a surgery that may be realized as a surgery on a strongly invertible link such that the result of the surgery is the double branched cover of an alternating link and (ii) trivial isometry group. In particular, this produces L-space knots in $S^3$ which are not strongly invertible. The construction also immediately extends to produce asymmetric L-space knots in any lens space, including $S^1 \times S^2$.
For any three-manifold presented as surgery on a framed link (L,Λ) in an integral homology sphere, Manolescu and Ozsváth construct a hypercube of chain complexes whose homology calculates the Heegaard Floer homology of Λ-framed surgery on Y. This carries a natural filtration that exists on any hypercube of chain complexes; we study the E_2 page of the associated spectral sequence, called Framed Floer homology. One purpose of this paper is to show that Framed Floer homology is an invariant of oriented framed links, but not an invariant of the surgered manifold. We discuss how this relates to an…
Site-specific recombination is an enzymatic process where two sites of precise sequence and orientation along a circle come together, are cleaved, and the ends are recombined. Site-specific recombination on a knotted substrate produces another knot or a two-component link depending on the relative orientation of the sites prior to recombination. Mathematically, site-specific recombination is modeled as coherent (knot to link) or non-coherent (knot to knot) banding. We here survey recent developments in the study of non-coherent bandings on knots and discuss biological implications.
Matveev introduced Borromean surgery on 3-manifolds, and proved that the equivalence relation on closed, oriented 3-manifolds generated by Borromean surgeries is characterized by the first homology group and the torsion linking pairing. Massuyeau generalized this result to closed, spin 3-manifolds, and the second author to compact, oriented 3-manifolds with boundary. In this paper we give a partial generalization of these results to compact, spin 3-manifolds with boundary.
