This paper gives new and elementary combinatorial topological proofs of the classification of unoriented and oriented rational knots and links. These proofs are based on the known classification of alternating knots through flyping, and the calculus of continued fractions. We characterize the class of strongly invertible rational links. Rational links are of fundamental importance in the study of DNA recombination.
The genus of satellite tunnel number one knots and torti-rational knots is computed using the tools introduced by Floyd and Hatcher. An implementation of an algorithm is given to compute genus and slopes of minimal genus Seifert surfaces for such knots.
We prove that certain fibered, $-$amphicheiral knots are rationally slice. Moreover, we show that the concordance invariants $ν^+$ and $Υ(t)$ from Heegaard Floer homology vanish for a class of knots that includes rationally slice knots.
We show that every rational knot $K$ of crossing number $N$ admits a polynomial parametrization $x=T_a(t), y = T_b(t), z = C(t)$ where $T_k(t)$ are the Chebyshev polynomials, $a=3$ and $b+ °C = 3N.$ We show that every rational knot also admits a polynomial parametrization with $a=4$. If $C (t)= T_c(t)$ is a Chebyshev polynomial, we call such a knot a harmonic knot. We give the classification of harmonic knots for $a \le 4.$
This paper gives two new combinatorial topological proofs of the classification of rational tangles. Each proof rests on an elegant lemma showing that rational tangles are isotopic to canonical alternating rational tangles. The first proof defines the tangle fraction from the canonical form and uses flyping to prove invariance. The second proof defines the fraction of a rational tangle via integral coloring of the tangle. The coloring method is then used to prove the Kauffman-Harary coloring conjecture for alternating knots and links in the case of rational knots and links (closures of rationa…
The following is a long-standing open question: "If the zero-framed surgeries on two knots in the 3-sphere are integral homology cobordant, are the knots themselves concordant?" We show that an obvious rational version of this question has a negative answer. Namely, we give examples of knots whose zero-framed surgeries are rational homology cobordant 3-manifolds, wherein the knots are not rationally concordant (that is not concordant in any rational homology S^3 x [0,1]). Specifically, we prove that, for any positive integer p and any knot K, the zero framed surgery on K is Z[1/p]-homology cob…
We provide a formula for the Dubrovnik polynomial of a rational knot in terms of the entries of the tuple associated with a braid-form diagram of the knot. Our calculations can be easily carried out using a computer algebra system.
This paper is an introduction to rational tangles, rational knots and links and their applications to DNA. The paper can be read as an introduction to our more technical papers on rational tangles (math.GT/0311499) and on rational knots (math.GT/0212011). The present paper includes a self-contained account of the tangle fraction from the point of view of the bracket polynomial, accounts of the classification theorems for rational tangles and rational knots (and of our new proofs of these results) and a description of the use of rational tangles in studying DNA recombination.
In this paper we classify, up to rigid isotopy, non-singular real rational curves of degrees less than or equal to 6 in a quadric homeomorphic to the 3-sphere. We also study their connections with rigid isotopy classes of real rational knots in $\mathbb{RP}^3$.
We prove that loose Legendrian knots in a rational homology contact 3-sphere, satisfying some additional hypothesis, are Legendrian isotopic if and only if they have the same classical invariants. The proof requires a result of Dymara on loose Legendrian knots and Eliashberg's classification of overtwisted contact structures on 3-manifolds.
We give an infinite family of knots that are not rationally concordant to their reverses. More precisely, if R denotes the involution of the rational knot concordance group QC induced by string reversal and Fix(R) denotes the subgroup of knots fixed under R in QC, then QC/Fix(R) contains an infinite rank subgroup. As a corollary, we show that there exists a knot K such that for every pair of coprime integers p and q, the (p,q)-cable of K is not concordant to the reverse of the (p,q)-cable of K.
We classify which positive integral surgeries on positive torus knots bound rational homology balls. Additionally, for a given knot K we consider which cables K(p,q) admit integral surgeries that bound rational homology balls. For such cables, let S(K) be the set of corresponding rational numbers q/p. We show that S(K) is bounded for each K. Moreover, if n-surgery on K bounds a rational homology ball then n is an accumulation point for S(K).
We construct a Kirby diagram of the rational homology ball used in "generalized rational blow-down" developed by Jongil Park. The diagram consists of a dotted circle and a torus knot. The link is simpler, but the parameters are a little complicate. Euclidean Algorithm is used three times in the construction and the proof.
We show that the problem of constructing a real rational knot of a reasonably low degree can be reduced to an algebraic problem involving the pure braid group: expressing an associated element of the pure braid group in terms of the standard generators of the pure braid group. We also predict the existence of a real rational knot in a degree that is expressed in terms of the edge number of its polygonal representation.
We use the rational Witt class of a knot in the 3-sphere as a tool for addressing questions about its unknotting number. We apply these tools to several low crossing knots (151 knots with 11 crossing and 100 knots with 12 crossings) and to the family of n-stranded pretzel knots for various values of n>2. In many cases we obtain new lower bounds and in some cases explicit values for their unknotting numbers. Our results are mainly concerned with unknotting number one but we also address, somewhat more marginally, the case of higher unknotting numbers.
Ozsváth and Szabó used the knot filtration on $\widehat{CF}(S^3)$ to define the $τ$-invariant for knots in the 3-sphere. In this article, we generalize their construction and define a collection of $τ$-invariants associated to a knot $K$ in a rational homology sphere $Y$. We then show that some of these invariants provide lower bounds for the genus of a surface with boundary $K$ properly embedded in a negative definite 4-manifold with boundary $Y$..
We introduce the notion of rational links in the solid torus. We show that rational links in the solid torus are fully characterized by rational tangles, and hence by the continued fraction of the rational tangle. Furthermore, we generalize this by giving an infinite family of ambient isotopy invariants of colored diagrams in the Kauffman bracket skein module of an oriented surface.
In the complement of a hyperbolic Montesinos knot with 4 rational tangles, we investigate the number of closed, connected, essential, orientable surfaces of a fixed genus $g$, up to isotopy. We show that there are exactly 12 genus 2 surfaces and $8ϕ(g - 1)$ surfaces of genus greater than 2, where $ϕ(g - 1)$ is the Euler totient function of $g - 1$. Observe that this count is independent of the number of crossings of the knot. Moreover, this class of knots form an infinite class of hyperbolic 3-manifolds and the result applies to all such knot complements.
We give infinitely many examples of manifold-knot pairs (Y, J) such that Y bounds an integer homology ball, J does not bound a non-locally-flat PL-disk in any integer homology ball, but J does bound a smoothly embedded disk in a rational homology ball. The proof relies on formal properties of involutive Heegaard Floer homology.
We describe rational knots with any of the possible combinations of the properties (a)chirality, (non-)positivity, (non-)fiberedness, and unknotting number one (or higher), and determine exactly their number for a given number of crossings in terms of their generating functions. We show in particular how Fibonacci numbers occur in the enumeration of fibered achiral and unknotting number one rational knots. Then we show how to enumerate rational knots by crossing number and genus and/or signature. This allows to determine the distribution of these invariants among rational knots. We give also a…
We compute the nonabelian $\mathrm{SL_2}(\mathbb{C})$-character varieties of the rational knots $C(2n+1,2m,2)$ in the Conway notation, where $m$ and $n$ are non-zero integers. By studying real points on these varieties, we determine the left orderability of the fundamental groups of the cyclic branched covers of $C(2n+1,2m,2)$.
Recently Iltgen, Lewark and Marino introduced the concept of a proper rational tangle replacement and the corresponding notion of the proper rational unknotting number. In this note we derive a version of the Montesinos trick for proper rational tangle replacement and use it to study knots with proper rational unknotting number one. We prove that knots with proper rational unknotting number one are prime and classify the alternating knots with proper rational unknotting number one. We also study Montesinos knots with proper rational unknotting number one.
We consider the recently introduced knotting-unknotting game, in which two players take turns resolving crossings in a knot diagram which initially is missing all its crossing information. Once the knot is fully resolved, the winner is decided by whether the knot is equivalent to the unknot. In this paper we determine which player wins under perfect play in the initial positions (knot shadows) that are guaranteed to produce rational knots or sums of rational knots. This is accomplished in part by an analysis of the effects of pseudo Reidemeister moves on positions, and a computer verification …
In his pioneering work from 1969, Jerry Levine introduced a complete set of invariants of algebraic concordance of knots. The evaluation of these invariants requires a factorization of the Alexander polynomial of the knot, and is therefore in practice often hard to realize. We thus propose the study of an alternative set of invariants of algebraic concordance - the rational Witt classes of knots. Though these are rather weaker invariants than those defined by Levine, they have the advantage of lending themselves to quite manageable computability. We illustrate this point by computing the ratio…
A torti-rational knot, denoted by K(2a,b|r), is a knot obtained from the 2-bridge link B(2a,b) by applying Dehn twists an arbitrary number of times, r, along one component of B(2a,b). We determine the genus of K(2a,b|r) and solve a question of when K(2a,b|r) is fibred. In most cases, the Alexander polynomials determine the genus and fibredness of these knots. We develop both algebraic and geometric techniques to describe the genus and fibredness by means of continued fraction expansions of b/2a. Then, we explicitly construct minimal genus Seifert surfaces. As an application, we solve the same …
We study the group of rational concordance classes of codimension two knots in rational homology spheres. We give a full calculation of its algebraic theory by developing a complete set of new invariants. For computation, we relate these invariants with limiting behaviour of the Artin reciprocity over an infinite tower of number fields and analyze it using tools from algebraic number theory. In higher dimensions it classifies the rational concordance group of knots whose ambient space satisfies a certain cobordism theoretic condition. In particular, we construct infinitely many torsion element…
The concordance crosscap number $γ_c(K)$ of a knot $K$ is the smallest crosscap number $γ_3(K')$ of any knot $K'$ concordant to $K$ (and with $γ_3(K')$ defined as the least first Betti number of any nonorientable surface $Σ$ embedded in $S^3$ with boundary $K'$). This invariant has been introduced and studied by Zhang using knot determinants and signatures, and has further been studied by Livingston using the Alexander polynomial. We show in this work that the rational Witt class of a knot can be used to obtain a lower bound on the concordance crosscap number, by means of a new integer-valued …
Introducing a way to modify knots using $n$-trivial rational tangles, we show that knots with given values of Vassiliev invariants of bounded degree can have arbitrary unknotting number (extending a recent result of Ohyama, Taniyama and Yamada). The same result is shown for 4-genera and finite reductions of the homology group of the double branched cover. Closer consideration is given to rational knots, where it is shown that the number of $n$-trivial rational knots of at most $k$ crossings is for any $n$ asymptotically at least $C^{(\ln k)^2}$ for any $C<\sqrt[2\ln 2]{e}$.
Let $K$ be a rationally null-homologous knot in a three-manifold $Y$. We construct a version of knot Floer homology in this context, including a description of the Floer homology of a three-manifold obtained as Morse surgery on the knot $K$. As an application, we express the Heegaard Floer homology of rational surgeries on $Y$ along a null-homologous knot $K$ in terms of the filtered homotopy type of the knot invariant for $K$. This has applications to Dehn surgery problems for knots in $S^3$. In a different direction, we use the techniques developed here to calculate the Heegaard Floer homolo…
A Chebyshev knot ${\cal C}(a,b,c,ϕ)$ is a knot which has a parametrization of the form $ x(t)=T_a(t); y(t)=T_b(t) ; z(t)= T_c(t + ϕ), $ where $a,b,c$ are integers, $T_n(t)$ is the Chebyshev polynomial of degree $n$ and $ϕ\in \R.$ We show that any two-bridge knot is a Chebyshev knot with $a=3$ and also with $a=4$. For every $a,b,c$ integers ($a=3, 4$ and $a$, $b$ coprime), we describe an algorithm that gives all Chebyshev knots $\cC(a,b,c,ϕ)$. We deduce a list of minimal Chebyshev representations of two-bridge knots with small crossing number.
We study the Fox coloring invariants of rational knots. We express the propagation of the colors down the twists of these knots and ultimately the determinant of them with the help of finite increasing sequences whose terms of even order are even and whose terms of odd order are odd.
We construct a combinatorial invariant of Legendrian knots in standard contact three-space. This invariant, which encodes rational relative Symplectic Field Theory and extends contact homology, counts holomorphic disks with an arbitrary number of positive punctures. The construction uses ideas from string topology.
A rational knot or link can be put into a standard alternating format which has horizontal and vertical twist sites (double helices). The number and type of these twist sites are determined by terms of next-to-highest $z$-degree in Kauffman's regular isotopy invariant $Λ(a,z)$. In particular, for a knot or link with $c$ crossings, the coefficient of the $z^{c-2}$ term is equal to the number of twist sites in its standard diagram. Furthermore, the coefficients of the $a^{-2}z^{c-2}$ and $a^2z^{c-2}$ terms count the number of left-turning and right-turning twist sites, respectively.
We show that if the fundamental group of the complement of a rationally homologically fibered knot in a rational homology 3-sphere is bi-orderable, then its Alexander polynomial has at least one positive real root. Our argument can be applied for a finitely generated group which is an HNN extension with certain properties.
In this article, we give a classification of Alexander modules of null-homologous knots in rational homology spheres. We characterize these modules A equipped with their Blanchfield forms $ϕ$, and the modules A such that there is a unique isomorphism class of $(A,ϕ)$, and we prove that for the other modules A, there are infinitely many such classes. We realise all these $(A,ϕ)$ by explicit knots in rational homology spheres.
Let $F$ be an incompressible, meridionally incompressible and not boundary-parallel surface with boundary in the complement of an algebraic tangle $(B,T)$. Then $F$ separates the strings of $T$ in $B$ and the boundary slope of $F$ is uniquely determined by $(B,T)$ and hence we can define the slope of the algebraic tangle. In addition to the Conway's tangle sum, we define a natural product of two tangles. The slopes and binary operation on algebraic tangles lead an algebraic structure which is isomorphic to the rational numbers. We introduce a new knot and link class, algebraically alternating …
The protein recombinase can change the knot type of circular DNA. The action of a recombinase converting one knot into another knot is normally mathematically modeled by band surgery. Band surgeries on a 2-bridge knot N((4mn-1)/(2m)) yielding a (2,2k)-torus link are characterized. We apply this and other rational tangle surgery results to analyze Xer recombination on DNA catenanes using the tangle model for protein-bound DNA.
If K is a rationally null-homologous knot in a 3-manifold M, the rational genus of K is the infimum of -χ(S)/2p over all embedded orientable surfaces S in the complement of K whose boundary wraps p times around K for some p (hereafter: S is a p-Seifert surface for K). Knots with very small rational genus can be constructed by "generic" Dehn filling, and are therefore extremely plentiful. In this paper we show that knots with rational genus less than 1/402 are all geometric -- i.e. they may be isotoped into a special form with respect to the geometric decomposition of M -- and give a complete c…
A knot K is the resultant of a knot H if there exists a minimal crossing diagram D of K such that some crossings of D can be altered to produce H. K is fertile if every prime knot H with crossing number less than c(K) is a resultant of K. K is n-fertile if every prime knot H with crossing number less than n is a resultant of K. We classify the fertility and fertility number of all rational links. This requires the introduction of the analogous concept of link fertility.
A construction of a spatial graph from a strongly invertible knot was developed by the second author, and a necessary and sufficient condition for the given spatial graph to be hyperbolic was provided as well. The condition is improved in this paper. This enable us to show that certain classes of knots can yield hyperbolic spatial graphs via the construction.
By recent results of Baker--Etnyre--Van Horn-Morris, a rational open book decomposition defines a compatible contact structure. We show that the Heegaard Floer contact invariant of such a contact structure can be computed in terms of the knot Floer homology of its (rationally null-homologous) binding. We then use this description of contact invariants, together with a formula for the knot Floer homology of the core of a surgery solid torus, to show that certain manifolds obtained by surgeries on bindings of open books carry tight contact structures. Possible applications to lens space surgerie…
This paper determines the minimal degree sequence for two compact rational knots, namely the trefoil and figure-eight knots. We find explicit projections with the minimal degree sequence of each knot. This is done by modifying a non-compact rational minimal-degree parameterization of the trefoil and figure-eight knots to make it compact. This research was conducted at Ramapo College of New Jersey during the summer of 2011 with Dr. Donovan McFeron.
From the link Floer complex of a link $K$, we extract a lower bound $t_q'(K)$ for the rational unknotting number of $K$ (i.e. the minimum number of rational replacements required to unknot $K$). Moreover, we show that the torsion obstruction $t_q(K)=\hat{t}(K)$ from an earlier paper of Alishahi and the author is a lower bound for the proper rational unknotting number. Moreover, $t_q(K\#K')=\max\{t_q(K),t_q(K')\}$ and $t'_q(K\#K')=\max\{t'_q(K),t'_q(K')\}$. For the torus knot $K=T_{p,pk+1}$ we compute $t'_q(K)=\lfloor p/2\rfloor$ and $t_q(K)=p-1$.
In this paper we study rational real algebraic knots in $\R P^3$. We show that two real algebraic knots of degree $\leq5$ are rigidly isotopic if and only if their degrees and encomplexed writhes are equal. We also show that any irreducible smooth knot which admits a plane projection with less than or equal to four crossings has a rational parametrization of degree $\leq 6$. Furthermore an explicit construction of rational knots of a given degree with arbitrary encomplexed writhe (subject to natural restrictions) is presented.
We provide a new obstruction for a rational homology 3-sphere to arise by Dehn surgery on a given knot in the 3-sphere. The obstruction takes the form of an inequality involving the genus of the knot, the surgery coefficient, and a count of L-structures on the 3-manifold, that is spin-c structures with the simplest possible associated Heegaard Floer group. Applications include an obstruction for two framed knots to yield the same 3-manifold, an obstruction that is particularly effective when working with families of framed knots. We introduce the rational and integral Dehn surgery genera for a…
We consider the question of when a rational homology 3-sphere is rational homology cobordant to a connected sum of lens spaces. We prove that every rational homology cobordism class in the subgroup generated by lens spaces is represented by a unique connected sum of lens spaces whose first homology embeds in any other element in the same class. As a first consequence, we show that several natural maps to the rational homology cobordism group have infinite rank cokernels. Further consequences include a divisibility condition between the determinants of a connected sum of 2-bridge knots and any …
We study the rational Kontsevich integral of torus knots. We construct explicitely a series of diagrams made of circles joined together in a tree-like fashion and colored by some special rational functions. We show that this series codes exactly the unwheeled rational Kontsevich integral of torus knots, and that it behaves very simply under branched coverings. Our proof is combinatorial. It uses the results of Wheels and Wheeling and various spaces of diagrams.
In this paper, we introduce a rational $τ$ invariant for rationally null-homologous knots in contact 3-manifolds with nontrivial Ozsváth-Szabó contact invariants. Such an invariant is an upper bound for the sum of rational Thurston-Bennequin invariant and the rational rotation number of the Legendrian representatives of the knot. In the special case of Floer simple knots in L-spaces, we can compute the rational $τ$ invariants by correction terms.
The 3-strand pretzel knots and links are a well-studied source of examples in knot theory. However, while there have been computations of the Khovanov homology of some sub-families of 3-strand pretzel knots, no general formula has been given for all of them. We give a general formula for the unreduced Khovanov homology of all 3-strand pretzel links, over the rational numbers.
We formulate a conjecture (already proven by A. Kricker) about the structure of Kontsevich integral of a knot. We describe its value in terms of the generating functions for the numbers of external edges attached to closed 3-valent diagrams. We conjecture that these functions are rational functions of the exponentials of their arguments, their denominators being the powers of the Alexander-Conway polynomial. This conjecture implies the existence of an expansion of a colored Jones (HOMFLY) polynomial in powers of q-1 whose coefficients are rational functions of q^color. We show how to derive th…
We conjecturally extract the triply graded Khovanov-Rozansky homology of the (m, n) torus knot from the unique finite dimensional simple representation of the rational DAHA of type A, rank n - 1, and central character m/n. The conjectural differentials of Gukov, Dunfield and the third author receive an explicit algebraic expression in this picture, yielding a prescription for the doubly graded Khovanov-Rozansky homologies. We match our conjecture to previous conjectures of the first author relating knot homology to q, t-Catalan numbers, and of the last three authors relating knot homology to H…
We identify 998 closed hyperbolic 3-manifolds whose volumes are rationally related to Dedekind zeta values, with coprime integers $a$ and $b$ giving $a/b vol(M)=(-D)^{3/2}/(2π)^{2n-4} (ζ_K(2))/(2ζ(2))$ for a manifold M whose invariant trace field $K$ has a single complex place, discriminant $D$, degree $n$, and Dedekind zeta value $ζ_K(2)$. The largest numerator of the 998 invariants of Hodgson-Weeks manifolds is, astoundingly, $a=2^4\times23\times37\times691 =9,408,656$; the largest denominator is merely b=9. We also study the rational invariant a/b for single-complex-place cusped manifolds, …
