I present a formula for the Casson invariant of knots associated with divides. The formula is written in terms of Arnold's invariants of pieces of the divide. Various corollaries are discussed.
It is known that if any prime power branched cyclic cover of a knot in the 3-sphere is a homology sphere, then the knot has vanishing Casson-Gordon invariants. We construct infinitely many examples of (topologically) non-slice knots in the 3-sphere whose prime power branched cyclic covers are homology spheres. We show that these knots generate an infinite rank subgroup of F_(1.0)/F_(1.5) for which Casson-Gordon invariants vanish in Cochran-Orr-Teichner's filtration of the classical knot concordance group . As a corollary, it follows that Casson-Gordon invariants are not a complete set of obstr…
In this paper, we extend the definition of the $SL_2(\Bbb C)$ Casson invariant to arbitrary knots $K$ in integral homology 3-spheres and relate it to the $m$-degree of the $\widehat{A}$-polynomial of $K$. We prove a product formula for the $\widehat{A}$-polynomial of the connected sum $K_1 \# K_2$ of two knots in $S^3$ and deduce additivity of $SL_2(\Bbb C)$ Casson knot invariant under connected sum for a large class of knots in $S^3$. We also present an example of a nontrivial knot $K$ in $S^3$ with trivial $\widehat{A}$-polynomial and trivial $SL_2(\Bbb C)$ Casson knot invariant, showing tha…
For a knot $K$ with $Δ_K(t)\doteq t^2-3t+1$ in a homology $3$-sphere, let $M$ be the result of $2/q$-surgery on $K$. We show that appropriate assumptions on the Reidemeister torsion and the Casson-Walker-Lescop invariant of the universal abelian covering of $M$ imply $q=\pm 1$, if $M$ is a Seifert fibered space.
We derive a simple closed formula for the SL(2,C) Casson invariant for Seifert fibered homology 3-spheres using the correspondence between SL(2,C) character varieties and moduli spaces of parabolic Higgs bundles of rank two. These results are then used to deduce the invariant for Dehn surgeries on twist knots by combining computations of the Culler-Shalen norms with the surgery formula for the SL(2,C) Casson invariant.
We give a rational surgery formula for the Casson-Walker invariant of a 2-component link in $S^{3}$ which is a generalization of Matveev-Polyak's formula. As application, we give more examples of non-hyperbolic L-space $M$ such that knots in $M$ are determined by their complements. We also apply the result for the cosmetic crossing conjecture.
In this paper we prove that the Casson-Gordon invariants of the connected sum of two knots split when the Alexander polynomials of the knots are coprime. As one application, for any knot K, all but finitely many algebraically slice twisted doubles of K are linearly independent in the knot concordance group.
For a knot $K$ with $Δ_K(t)\doteq t^2-3t+1$ in a homology $3$-sphere, let $M$ be the result of $2/q$-surgery on $K$. We show that an appropriate assumption on the Reidemeister torsion of the universal abelian covering of $M$ implies $q=\pm 1$, if $M$ is a Seifert fibered space.
We consider the cosmetic surgery problem for two-bridge knots in the 3-sphere. It is seen that all the two-bridge knots at most 9 crossings other than $9_{27} = S(49,19)=C[2,2,-2,2,2,-2]$ admits no purely cosmetic surgery pairs. Then we show that any two-bridge knot of the Conway form $[2x,2,-2x,2x,2,-2x]$ with $x \ge 1$ admits no cosmetic surgery pairs yielding homology 3-spheres, where $9_{27}$ appears for $x=1$. Our advantage to prove this is using the $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ Casson invariant.
We investigate the behavior of the SL(2,C) Casson invariant for 3-manifolds obtained by Dehn surgery along two-bridge knots. Using the results of Hatcher and Thurston, and also results of Ohtsuki, we outline how to compute the Culler--Shalen seminorms, and we illustrate this approach by providing explicit computations for double twist knots. We then apply the surgery formula of Curtis to deduce the SL(2,C) Casson invariant for the 3-manifolds obtained by p/q-Dehn surgery on such knots. These results are applied to prove nontriviality of the SL(2,C) Casson invariant for nearly all 3-manifolds o…
We consider an analogue of well-known Casson knot invariant for knotoids. We start with a direct analogue of the classical construction which gives two different integer-valued knotoid invariants and then focus on its homology extension. Value of the extension is a formal sum of subgroups of the first homology group $H_1(Σ)$ where $Σ$ is an oriented surface with (maybe) non-empty boundary in which knotoid diagrams lie. To make the extension informative for spherical knotoids it is sufficient to transform an initial knotoid diagram in $S^2$ into a knotoid diagram in the annulus by removing smal…
We show that the SU(3) Casson invariant for spliced sums along certain torus knots equals 16 times the product of their SU(2) Casson knot invariants. The key step is a splitting formula for su(n) spectral flow for closed 3-manifolds split along a torus.
We establish a formula for the SL(2,C) Casson invariant of spliced sums of homology spheres along knots. Along the way, we show that the SL(2,C) Casson invariant vanishes for spliced sums along knots in the 3-sphere.
In the study of homology cobordisms, knot concordance and link concordance, the following technical problem arises frequently: let $π$ be a group and let $M \to N$ be a homomorphism between projective $\Z[π]$-modules such that $\Z_p \otimes_{\Z[π]} M\to \Z_p \otimes_{\Z[π]} N$ is injective; for which other right $\Z[π]$-modules $V$ is the induced map $V \otimes_{\Z[π]} M\to V\otimes_{\Z[π]}N$ also injective? Our main theorem gives a new criterion which combines and generalizes many previous results.
For a knot $K$ in a homology $3$-sphere $Σ$, let $M$ be the result of $2/q$-surgery on $K$, and let $X$ be the universal abelian covering of $M$. Our first theorem is that if the first homology of $X$ is finite cyclic and $M$ is a Seifert fibered space with $N\ge 3$ singular fibers, then $N\ge 4$ if and only if the first homology of the universal abelian covering of $X$ is infinite. Our second theorem is that under an appropriate assumption on the Alexander polynomial of $K$, if $M$ is a Seifert fibered space, then $q=\pm 1$ (i.e.\ integral surgery).
We study the Vassiliev knot invariant v_2 of degree 2. We present it via the degrees of maps of various configuration spaces related to a knot to products of spheres. This gives rise to numerous geometrical and combinatorial formulas for this invariant.
The n-solvable filtration $\{\mathcal{F}_n\}_{n=0}^\infty$ of the smooth knot concordance group (denoted by $\mathcal{C}$), due to Cochran-Orr-Teichner, has been instrumental in the study of knot concordance in recent years. Part of its significance is due to the fact that certain geometric characterizations of a knot imply membership in various levels of the filtration. We show the counterpart of this fact for two new filtrations of $\mathcal{C}$ due to Cochran-Harvey-Horn, the positive and negative filtrations, denoted by $\{\mathcal{P}_n\}_{n=0}^\infty$ and $\{\mathcal{N}_n\}_{n=0}^\infty$ …
We use twisted Alexander polynomials to show that certain algebraically slice 2-bridge knots are not topologically slice, even though all prime power Casson-Gordon signatures vanish. We also provide some computations indicating the efficacy of Casson-Gordon signatures in obstructing the smooth sliceness of 2-bridge knots.
We give a useful classification of the metabelian unitary representations of pi_1(M_K), where M_K is the result of zero-surgery along a knot K in S^3. We show that certain eta invariants associated to metabelian representations pi_1(M_K) --> U(k) vanish for slice knots and that even more eta invariants vanish for ribbon knots and doubly slice knots. We show that our vanishing results contain the Casson-Gordon sliceness obstruction. In many cases eta invariants can be easily computed for satellite knots. We use this to study the relation between the eta invariant sliceness obstruction, the eta-…
We study chirally cosmetic surgeries, that is, a pair of Dehn surgeries on a knot producing homeomorphic 3-manifolds with opposite orientations. Several constraints on knots and surgery slopes to admit such surgeries are given. Our main ingredients are the original and the $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ version of Casson invariants. As applications, we give a complete classification of chirally cosmetic surgeries on alternating knots of genus one.
We define an integer valued invariant for two-component links in S^3 by counting projective SU(2) representations of the link group having non-trivial second Stiefel-Whitney class. We show that our invariant is, up to sign, the linking number of the link. Our construction generalizes that of X.-S. Lin who defined a similar invariant for knots in S^3; his invariant equals half the knot signature.
We prove the additivity of the Casson-Seiberg-Witten invariant of integral homology $S^1 \times S^3$ under fiber sum along embedded curves and embedded tori, which is the $4$-dimensional analogue of the additivity of the Casson invariant under connected-sum and splicing along knots.
Let K and K' be 2-knots. Suppose that K and K' are ribbon-move equivalent. Then the Farber-Levine pairing for K is equivalent to that for K' and the (Z-)torsion part of the first Alexander module of $K$ is isomorphic to that of K' as Z[Z] modules. Let K be a 2-knot which is ribbon-move equivalent to the trivial knot. Then the Atiyah-Patodi-Singer-Casson-Gordon-Ruberman Q/Z-valued \widetildeη-invariants of K for Z_d is zero. (d is a natural number. d>2.).
Given a rational homology sphere which bounds rational homology balls, we investigate the complexity of these balls as measured by the number of 1-handles in a handle decomposition. We use Casson-Gordon invariants to obtain lower bounds which also lead to lower bounds on the fusion number of ribbon knots. We use Levine-Tristram signatures to compute these bounds and produce explicit examples.
We use intersection theory techniques to define an invariant of closed 3-manifolds counting the characters of irreducible representations of the fundamental group in PSL(2,C). We note several properties of the invariant and compute the invariant for certain Seifert fibered spaces and for some Dehn surgeries on twist knots. We discuss the relationship between this invariant and the SL(2,C)-invariant.
For any rational homology 3-sphere and one of its spin^{c}-structures, Ozsvath and Szabo defined a topological invariant, called d-invariant. Given a knot in the 3-sphere, the d-invariants associated with the prime-power-fold branched covers of the knot, obstruct the smooth sliceness of the knot. These invariants bear some structural resemblances to Casson-Gordon invariants, which obstruct the topological sliceness of a knot. Se-Goo Kim found a polynomial splitting property for Casson-Gordon invariants. In this paper, we show a similar result for Ozsvath and Szabo's d-invariants. We give an ap…
In knot concordance three genera arise naturally, g(K), g_4(K), and g_c(K): these are the classical genus, the 4-ball genus, and the concordance genus, defined to be the minimum genus among all knots concordant to K. Clearly 0 <= g_4(K) <= g_c(K) <= g(K). Casson and Nakanishi gave examples to show that g_4(K) need not equal g_c(K). We begin by reviewing and extending their results. For knots representing elements in A, the concordance group of algebraically slice knots, the relationships between these genera are less clear. Casson and Gordon's result that A is nontrivial implies that g_4(K) ca…
The concordance genus of a knot K is the minimum three-genus among all knots concordant to K. For prime knots of 10 or fewer crossings there have been three knots for which the concordance genus was unknown. Those three cases are now resolved. Two of the cases are settled using invariants of Levine's algebraic concordance group. The last case depends on the use of twisted Alexander polynomials, viewed as Casson-Gordon invariants.
For a knot K in S^3 we construct according to Casson--or more precisely taking into account Lin and Heusener's further works--a volume form on the SU(2)-representation space of the group of K. We prove that this volume form is a topological knot invariant and explore some of its properties.
We present a lower bound on the stable $4$-genus of a knot based on Casson-Gordon $τ$-signatures. We compute the lower bound for an infinite family of knots, the twist knots, and show that a twist knot is torsion in the knot concordance group if and only if it has vanishing stable $4$-genus.
Let Θ(M,K) denote the 2-loop piece of (the logarithm of) the LMO invariant of a knot K in M, a ZHS^3. Forgetting the knot (by which we mean setting diagrams with legs to zero) specialises Θ(M,K) to λ(M), Casson's invariant. This note describes an extension of Casson's surgery formula for his invariant to Θ(M,K). To be precise, we describe the effect on Θ(M,K) of a surgery on a knot which together with K forms a boundary link in M. Whilst the presented formula does not characterise Θ(M,K), it does allow some insight into the underlying topology.
This short survey, which was written to accompany a minicourse at the BIRS conference "Topology in dimension 4.5", concerns invariants of knotted $2$-spheres in $S^4$, also known as $2$-knots. It covers invariants extracted from the algebraic topology of the knot exterior, including Alexander invariants, the Farber-Levine pairing and Casson-Gordon invariants, as well as gauge theoretic and combinatorial invariants. Details are scarce and new results inexistant.
We introduce the $SU(N)$ Casson-Lin invariants for links $L$ in $S^3$ with more than one component. Writing $L = \ell_1 \cup \cdots \cup \ell_n$, we require as input an $n$-tuple $(a_1,\ldots, a_n) \in {\mathbb Z}^n$ of labels, where $a_j$ is associated with $\ell_j$. The $SU(N)$ Casson-Lin invariant, denoted $h_{N,a}(L)$, gives an algebraic count of certain projective $SU(N)$ representations of the link group $π_1(S^3 \smallsetminus L)$, and the family $h_{N,a}$ of link invariants gives a natural extension of the $SU(2)$ Casson-Lin invariant, which was defined for knots by X.-S. Lin and for 2…
We prove that the ($τ$-weighted, sheaf-theoretic) SL(2,C) Casson-Lin invariant introduced by Manolescu and the first author in [CM19] is generically independent of the parameter $τ$ and additive under connected sums of knots in integral homology 3-spheres. This addresses two questions asked in [CM19]. Our arguments involve a mix of topology, microlocal analysis and algebraic geometry, and rely crucially on the fact that the SL(2,C) Casson-Lin invariant admits an alternative interpretation via the theory of Behrend functions.
We give a sufficient condition under which vanishing property of Cochran-Orr-Teichner knot concordance obstructions splits under connected sum. The condition is described in terms of self-annihilating submodules with respect to higher-order Blanchfield linking forms. This extends results of Levine and the authors on distinguishing knots with coprime Alexander polynomials up to concordance. As an application, we show that the knots constructed by Cochran, Orr and Teichner as the first examples of nonslice knots with vanishing Casson-Gordon invariants are not concordant to any knot of genus one.
We show that bilinear cup products with local coefficients of closed 3-manifolds recover some twisted pairings of infinite covers and the Casson-Gordon local signatures. As a result, we further give diagrammatic computations of the pairings and signatures.
We show that two-bridge knots and alternating fibered knots admit no purely cosmetic surgeries, i.e., no pair of distinct Dehn surgeries on such a knot produce 3-manifolds that are homeomorphic as oriented manifolds. Our argument, based on a recent result by Hanselman, uses several invariants of knots or 3-manifolds; for knots, we study the signature and some finite type invariants, and for 3-manifolds, we deploy the $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ Casson invariant.
A perturbative SU(3) Casson invariant $Λ_{SU(3)}(X)$ for integral homology 3-spheres is defined. Besides being fully perturbative, it has nice properties: (1) $4 . Λ_{SU(3)}(X)$ is an integer. (2) It is preseved under orientation change. (3) A connected sum formula holds. Explicit calculations of the invariant for $1/k$ surgery on $(2,q)$ torus knots are made and compared with a different generalization of Casson's invariant to SU(3) by Boden and Herald. For those cases computed, the invariant defined here is a quadratic polynomial in k for k>0 and a quadratic polynomial for k<0.
Given a knot $K$ inside an integer homology sphere $Y$, the Casson-Lin-Herald invariant can be interpreted as a signed count of conjugacy classes of irreducible representations of the knot complement into $SU(2)$ which map the meridian of the knot to a fixed conjugacy class. It has the interesting feature that it determines the Tristram-Levine signature of the knot associated to the conjugacy class chosen. Turning things around, given a 4-manifold $X$ with the integral homology of $S^{1}\times S^{3}$, and an embedded torus $T$ inside $X$ such that $H_{1}(T;\mathbb{Z})$ surjects onto $H_{1}(X;\…
Various obstructions to knot concordance have been found using Casson-Gordon invariants, higher-order Alexander polynomials, as well as von-Neumann rho-invariants. Examples have been produced using (iterated) doubling operations K=R(c,J), and considering these as parametrized by invariants of the base knot J and doubling operator R. In this paper, we introduce a new mew method to obstruct concordance. We show that infinitely many distinct concordance classes may be constructed by varying the infecting curve c in S^3-R. Distinct concordance classes are found even while fixing the base knot, the…
In this paper, we define a new algebro-geometric invariant of 3-manifolds resulting from the Dehn surgery along a hyperbolic knot complement in S^3. We establish a Casson type invariant for these 3-manifolds. In the last section, we explicitly calculate the character variety of the figure-eight knot and discuss some applications, as well as the computation of our new invariants for some 3-manifolds resulting from the Dehn surgery along the figure-eight knot.
We address the primary decomposition of the knot concordance group in terms of the solvable filtration and higher-order von Neumann $ρ$-invariants by Cochran, Orr, and Teichner. We show that for a nonnegative integer n, if the connected sum of two n-solvable knots with coprime Alexander polynomials is slice, then each of the knots has vanishing von Neumann $ρ$-invariants of order n. This gives positive evidence for the conjecture that nonslice knots with coprime Alexander polynomials are not concordant. As an application, we show that if K is one of Cochran-Orr-Teichner's knots which are the f…
New methods for computing a variety of gauge theoretic invariants for homology 3-spheres are developed. These invariants include the Chern-Simons invariants, the spectral flow of the odd signature operator, and the rho invariants of irreducible SU(2) representations. These quantities are calculated for flat SU(2) connections on homology 3-spheres obtained by 1/k Dehn surgery on (2,q) torus knots. The methods are then applied to compute the SU(3) gauge theoretic Casson invariant (introduced in [H U Boden and C M Herald, The SU(3) Casson invariant for integral homology 3--spheres, J. Diff. Geom.…
Given a knot in the three-sphere, is it possible to unknot it by performing a single twist, and if so, what are the possible linking numbers of such a twist? We develop obstructions to unknotting using a twist of a specified linking number. The obstructions we describe are built using classical knot invariants, Casson-Gordon invariants, and Heegaard Floer theory.
We define a set of "second-order" L^(2)-signature invariants for any algebraically slice knot. These obstruct a knot's being a slice knot and generalize Casson-Gordon invariants, which we consider to be "first-order signatures". As one application we prove: If K is a genus one slice knot then, on any genus one Seifert surface, there exists a homologically essential simple closed curve of self-linking zero, which has vanishing zero-th order signature and a vanishing first-order signature. This extends theorems of Cooper and Gilmer. We introduce a geometric notion, that of a derivative of a knot…
Divide knots and links, defined by A'Campo in the singularity theory of complex curves, is a method to present knots or links by real plane curves. The present paper is a continuation of the author's previous result that every knot in the major subfamilies of Berge's lens space surgery (i.e., knots yielding a lens space by Dehn surgery) is presented by an L-shaped curve as a divide knot. In the present paper, L-shaped curves are generalized and it is shown that every knot in the minor subfamilies, called sporadic examples, of Berge's lens space surgery is presented by a generalized L-shaped cu…
We construct many examples of non-slice knots in 3-space that cannot be distinguished from slice knots by previously known invariants. Using Whitney towers in place of embedded disks, we define a geometric filtration of the 3-dimensional topological knot concordance group. The bottom part of the filtration exhibits all classical concordance invariants, including the Casson-Gordon invariants. As a first step, we construct an infinite sequence of new obstructions that vanish on slice knots. These take values in the L-theory of skew fields associated to certain {\em universal} groups. Finally, we…
In this paper, we develop a lower bound for the double slice genus of a knot using Casson-Gordon invariants. As an application, we show that the double slice genus can be arbitrarily larger than twice the slice genus. As an analogue to the double slice genus, we also define the superslice genus of a knot, and give both an upper bound and a lower bound in the topological category.
If a knot K bounds a genus one Seifert surface F in the 3-sphere and F contains an essential simple closed curve alpha that has induced framing 0 and is smoothly slice, then K is smoothly slice. Conjecturally, the converse holds. It is known that if K is slice, then there are strong constraints on the algebraic concordance class of such alpha, and it was thought that these constraints might imply that alpha is at least algebraically slice. We present a counterexample; in the process we answer negatively a question of Cooper and relate the result to a problem of Kauffman. Results of this paper …
It is proved that every knot in the major subfamilies of J. Berge's lens space surgery (i.e., knots yielding a lens space by Dehn surgery) is presented by an L-shaped (real) plane curve as a "divide knot" defined by N. A'Campo in the context of singularity theory of complex curves. For each knot given by Berge's parameters, the corresponding plane curve is constructed. The surgery coefficients are also considered. Such presentations support us to study each knot itself, and the relationship among the knots in the set of lens space surgeries.
Recently, Mullins calculated the Casson-Walker invariant of the 2-fold cyclic branched cover of an oriented link in S^3 in terms of its Jones polynomial and its signature, under the assumption that the 2-fold branched cover is a rational homology 3-sphere. Using elementary principles, we provide a similar calculation for the general case. In addition, we calculate the LMO invariant of the p-fold branched cover of twisted knots in S^3 in terms of the Kontsevich integral of the knot.
The stable 4-genus of a knot K in 3-space is the limiting value of g_4(nK)/n, where g_4 denotes the 4-genus and n goes to infinity. This induces a seminorm on CQ, the concordance group tensored with the rational numbers. Basic properties of the stable genus are developed, as are examples focused on understanding the unit ball under this seminorm for specified subspaces of CQ. Subspaces spanned by torus knots are used to illustrate the distinction between the smooth and topological categories. A final example is given in which Casson-Gordon invariants are used to demonstrate that the stable gen…
We prove the nontriviality, at all integral levels n, of the filtration, F_n, of the classical topological knot concordance group recently defined by the authors and Kent Orr [COT]. Recall that this filtration is significant not only because of it's strong connection to Whitney tower constructions of Casson and Freedman, but also because all previously-known concordance invariants are related to the first few terms in the filtration. In [COT] we proved nontriviality at the first new level (n=3) by using von Neumann $ρ$-invariants of the 3-manifolds obtained by zero surgery on the knots. Here, …
We find a formula for the L2 signature of a (p,q) torus knot, which is the integral of the omega-signatures over the unit circle. We then apply this to a theorem of Cochran-Orr-Teichner to prove that the n-twisted doubles of the unknot, for n not 0 or 2, are not slice. This is a new proof of the result first proved by Casson and Gordon.