We define Casson-Gordon sigma-invariants for links and give a lower bound of the slice genus of a link in terms of these invariants. We study as an example a family of two component links of genus h and show that their slice genus is h, whereas the Murasugi-Tristram inequality does not obstruct this link from bounding an annulus in the 4-ball.
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.
We study the double slice genus of a knot, a natural generalization of slice genus. We define a notion called band number, a natural generalization of band unknotting number, and prove it is an upper bound on double slice genus. Our bound is based on an analysis of broken surface diagrams and embedding properties of 3-manifolds in 4-manifolds.
We show that perturbing the definition of sl(n) Khovanov-Rozansky link homology gives a lower bound on the slice genus of a knot. As a corollary this yields another proof of Milnor's conjecture on the slice genus of torus knots.
The doubly slice genus of a knot in the 3-sphere is the minimal genus among unknotted orientable surfaces in the 4-sphere for which the knot arises as a cross-section. We use the classical signature function of the knot to give a new lower bound for the doubly slice genus. We combine this with an upper bound due to C. McDonald to prove that for every nonnegative integer $N$ there is a knot where the difference between the slice and doubly slice genus is exactly $N$, refining a result of W. Chen which says this difference can be arbitrarily large.
In this paper, we compute the slice genus for many low-crossing virtual knots. For instance, we show that 1295 out of 92800 virtual knots with 6 or fewer crossings are slice, and that all but 248 of the rest are not slice. Key to these results are computations of Turaev's graded genus, which we show extends to give an invariant of virtual knot concordance. The graded genus is remarkably effective as a slice obstruction, and we develop an algorithm that applies virtual unknotting operations to determine the slice genus of many virtual knots with 6 or fewer crossings.
This paper presents evidence supporting the surprising conjecture that in the topological category the slice genus of a satellite knot $P(K)$ is bounded above by the sum of the slice genera of $K$ and $P(U)$. Our main result establishes this conjecture for a variant of the topological slice genus, the $\mathbb{Z}$-slice genus. As an application, we show that the $(n,1)$-cable of any 3-genus 1 knot (e.g. the figure 8 or trefoil knot) has topological slice genus at most 1. Further, we show that the lower bounds on the slice genus coming from the Tristram-Levine and Casson-Gordon signatures canno…
The concordance genus of a knot K is the minimum Seifert genus of all knots smoothly concordant to K. Concordance genus is bounded below by the 4-ball genus and above by the Seifert genus. We give a lower bound for the concordance genus of K coming from the knot Floer complex of K. As an application, we prove that there are topologically slice knots with 4-ball genus equal to one and arbitrarily large concordance genus.
We construct an infinite family of topologically slice 2--component boundary links $\ell_i$, none of which is smoothly concordant to a split link, such that $g_4(\ell_i)=i$.
We define several concordance invariants using knot Floer homology which give improvements over known slice genus and clasp number bounds from Heegaard Floer homology. We also prove that the involutive correction terms of Hendricks and Manolescu give both a slice genus and a clasp number bound.
We introduce a new class of links for which we give a lower bound for the slice genus $g_*$, using the generalized Rasmussen invariant. We show that this bound, in some cases, allows one to compute $g_*$ exactly; in particular, we compute $g_*$ for torus links. We also study another link invariant: the strong slice genus $g_*^*$. Studying the behaviour of a specific type of cobordisms in Lee homology, a lower bound for $g_*^*$ is also given.
An important difference between high dimensional smooth manifolds and smooth 4-manifolds that in a 4-manifold it is not always possible to represent every middle dimensional homology class with a smoothly embedded sphere. This is true even among the simplest 4-manifolds: $X_0(K)$ obtained by attaching an $0$-framed 2-handle to the 4-ball along a knot $K$ in $S^3$. The $0$-shake genus of $K$ records the minimal genus among all smooth embedded surfaces representing a generator of the second homology of $X_0(K)$ and is clearly bounded above by the slice genus of $K$. We prove that slice genus is …
We use the famous knot-theoretic consequence of Freedman's disc theorem---knots with trivial Alexander polynomial bound a locally-flat disc in the 4-ball---to prove the following generalization. The degree of the Alexander polynomial of a knot is an upper bound for twice its topological slice genus. We provide examples of knots where this determines the topological slice genus.
We discuss an obstruction to a knot being smoothly slice that comes from minimum-genus bounds on smoothly embedded surfaces in definite 4-manifolds. As an example, we provide an alternate proof of the fact that the (2,1)-cable of the figure eight knot is not smoothly slice, as shown by Dai--Kang--Mallick--Park--Stoffregen in 2022. The main technical input of our argument consists of gauge-theoretic obstructions to smooth small-genus surfaces representing certain homology classes in $\mathbb{CP}^2\#\mathbb{CP}^2$ proved by Bryan in the 1990s.
In this paper, we study reducible surgeries on knots in $S^3$. We develop thickness bounds for L-space knots that admit reducible surgeries, and lower bounds on the slice genus for general knots that admit reducible surgeries. The L-space knot thickness bounds allow us to finish off the verification of the Cabling Conjecture for thin knots, which was mostly worked out in \cite{DeY21b}. We also provide a new upper bound on reducing slopes for fibered, hyperbolic slice knots and on multiple reducing slopes for slice knots. Our techniques involve the $d$-invariants and mapping cone formula from H…
We introduce a new link invariant called the algebraic genus, which gives an upper bound for the topological slice genus of links. In fact, the algebraic genus is an upper bound for another version of the slice genus proposed here: the minimal genus of a surface in the four-ball whose complement has infinite cyclic fundamental group. We characterize the algebraic genus in terms of cobordisms in three-space, and explore the connections to other knot invariants related to the Seifert form, the Blanchfield form, knot genera and unknotting. Employing Casson-Gordon invariants, we discuss the algebr…
For certain classes of knots we define geometric invariants called higher-order genera. Each of these invariants is a refinement of the slice genus of a knot. We find lower bounds for the higher-order genera in terms of certain von Neumann $ρ$-invariants, which we call higher-order signatures. The higher-order genera offer a refinement of the Grope filtration of the knot concordance group.
By considering negative surgeries on a knot $K$ in $S^3$, we derive a lower bound to the non-orientable slice genus $γ_4(K)$ in terms of the signature $σ(K)$ and the concordance invariants $V_i(\overline{K})$, which strengthens a previous bound given by Batson, and which coincides with Ozsváth-Stipsicz-Szabó's bound in terms of their $\upsilon$ invariant for L-space knots and quasi-alternating knots. A curious feature of our bound is superadditivity, implying, for instance, that the bound on the stable non-orientable genus is sometimes better than the one on $γ_4(K)$.
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 …
The algebraic genus of a knot is an invariant that arises when one considers upper bounds for the topological slice genus coming from Freedman's theorem that Alexander polynomial one knots are topologically slice. This paper develops null-homologous twisting operations as a tool for studying the algebraic genus and, consequently, for bounding the topological slice genus above. As applications we give new upper bounds on the algebraic genera of torus knots and satellite knots.
We use the Blanchfield form to obtain a lower bound on the equivariant slice genus of a strongly invertible knot. For our main application, let $K$ be a genus one strongly invertible slice knot with nontrivial Alexander polynomial. We show that the equivariant slice genus of an equivariant connected sum $\#^n K$ is at least $n/4$. We also formulate an equivariant algebraic concordance group, and show that the kernel of the forgetful map to the classical algebraic concordance group is infinite rank.
Cochran, Orr, and Teichner developed a filtration of the knot concordance group indexed by half integers called the solvable filtration. Its terms are denoted by $\mathcal{F}_n$. It has been shown that $\mathcal{F}_n/\mathcal{F}_{n.5}$ is a very large group for $n\ge 0$. For a generalization to the setting of links the third author showed that $\mathcal{F}_{n.5}/\mathcal{F}_{n+1}$ is non-trivial. In this paper we provide evidence that for knots $\mathcal{F}_{0.5}=\mathcal{F}_1$. In particular we prove that every genus 1 algebraically slice knot is 1-solvable.
A virtual knot is an equivalence class of embeddings of $ S^1 $ into thickened (closed oriented) surfaces, up to self-diffeomorphism of the surface and certain handle stabilisations. The slice genus of a virtual knot is defined diagrammatically, in direct analogy to that of a classical knot. However, it may be defined, equivalently, as follows: a representative of a virtual knot is an embedding of $ S^1 $ into a thickened surface $ Σ_g \times I $; what is the minimal genus of oriented surfaces $ S \hookrightarrow M \times I $ with the embedded $ S^1 $ as boundary, where $ M $ is an oriented $ …
We use Lee's work on the Khovanov homology to define a knot invariant s. We show that s(K) is a concordance invariant and that it provides a lower bound for the slice genus of K. As a corollary, we give a purely combinatorial proof of the Milnor conjecture.
We obtain new lower bounds of the minimal genus of a locally flat surface representing a 2-dimensional homology class in a topological 4-manifold with boundary, using the von Neumann-Cheeger-Gromov $ρ$-invariant. As an application our results are employed to investigate the slice genus of knots. We illustrate examples with arbitrarily large slice genus for which our lower bound is optimal but all previously known invariants vanish.
We prove that the topological locally flat slice genus of large torus knots takes up less than three quarters of the ordinary genus. As an application, we derive the best possible linear estimate of the topological slice genus for torus knots with non-maximal signature invariant.
For a knot $K$, the doubly slice genus $g_{ds}(K)$ is the minimal $g$ such that $K$ divides a closed, orientable, and unknotted surface of genus $g$ embedded in $S^4$. In this paper, we identify the doubly slice genera of 2909 of the 2977 prime knots which have a crossing number of 12 or fewer.
The concordance genus of a knot is the least genus of any knot in its concordance class. It is bounded above by the genus of the knot, and bounded below by the slice genus, two well-studied invariants. In this paper we consider the concordance genus of 11--crossing prime knots. This analysis resolves the concordance genus of 533 of the 552 prime 11--crossing knots. The appendix to the paper gives concordance diagrams for 59 knots found to be concordant to knots of lower genus, including null-concordances for the 30 11--crossing knots known to be slice.
We introduce the notion of ascent sliceness of virtual knots. A representative of a virtual knot is an embedding $ S^1 \hookrightarrow Σ_{g} \times I $, for $ Σ_g $ a closed connected oriented surface of genus $ g $; the virtual knot represented is slice if there exists a pair consisting of a disc $ D $ and an oriented $ 3 $-manifold $ M $, such that $ D \hookrightarrow M \times I $, $ \partial M = Σ_{g} $, and $ \partial D = S^1 $ (the image of the embedding). This definition of sliceness exemplifies that a cobordism of virtual links is a pair consisting of a surface and a $ 3 $-manifold; in …
A 2-component oriented link in $S^3$ is called weakly doubly slice if it is a cross-section of an unknotted sphere in $S^4$, and strongly doubly slice if it is a cross-section of a 2-component trivial spherical link in $S^4$. We give the first example of 2-component boundary links which are weakly doubly slice but not strongly doubly slice. We also introduce a new invariant $g_{st}$ of homotopically trivial links that measures the failure of a link from being strongly doubly slice and that bounds the doubly slice genus $g_{ds}$ from below. Our examples have arbitrarily large doubly slice genus…
A geometric argument is given to prove that the Seifert genus of a positive knot equals its slice genus. A combinatorial invariant, giving a lower bound for the slice genus, is formulated for arbitrary knots. Properties and applications of this invariant are discussed.
The slicing number of a knot, $u_s(K)$, is the minimum number of crossing changes required to convert $K$ to a slice knot. This invariant is bounded above by the unknotting number and below by the slice genus $g_s(K)$. We show that for many knots, previous bounds on unknotting number obtained by Ozsvath and Szabo and by the author in fact give bounds on the slicing number. Livingston defined another invariant $U_s(K)$ which takes into account signs of crossings changed to get a slice knot, and which is bounded above by the slicing number and below by the slice genus. We exhibit an infinite fam…
The unknotting number of a knot is bounded from below by its slice genus. It is a well-known fact that the genera and unknotting numbers of torus knots coincide. In this note we characterize quasipositive knots for which the genus bound is sharp: the slice genus of a quasipositive knot equals its unknotting number, if and only if the given knot appears in an unknotting sequence of a torus knot.
Shake slice generalizes the notion of a slice link, naturally extending the notion of shake slice knots to links. There is also a relative version, shake concordance, that generalizes link concordance. We show that if two links are shake concordant, then their zero surgery manifolds are homology cobordant. Then we give several obstructions to a link being shake slice; for instance, the Arf invariants vanish for both the link and each component. Finally we show that a shake slice link bounds disjoint disks in a homology 4-ball and hence each component is algebraically slice.
A derivative of an algebraically slice knot $K$ is an oriented link disjointly embedded in a Seifert surface of $K$ such that its homology class forms a basis for a metabolizer $H$ of $K$. We show that for a genus three algebraically slice knot $K$, the set $\{ \barμ_{\{γ_1,γ_2,γ_3\}}(123) - \barμ_{\{γ'_1,γ'_2,γ'_3\}}(123)| \{γ_1,γ_2,γ_3\}$ and $\{γ'_1,γ'_2,γ'_3\}$ are derivatives of $K$ associated with a metabolizer $H\}$ contains $n\cdot \mathbb{Z}$ where $n$ is determined by a Seifert form of $K$ and a metabolizer $H$. As a corollary, we show that it is possible to realize any integer as a …
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…
In the 60's Levine proved that if $R$ is a slice knot, then on any genus $g$ Seifert surface for $R$ there is a $g$ component link $J$, called a derivative of $R$, on which the Seifert form vanishes. Many subsequent obstructions to $R$ being slice are given in terms of slice obstructions of $J$. Many of these obstructions can be derived from a 4-manifold called a null-bordism. Recently the authors proved that that it is possible for $R$ to be slice without $J$ being slice, disproving a conjecture of Kauffmann from the 80's. In this paper we cut open these null-bordisms in order to derive new o…
We show that every good boundary link with a pair of derivative links on a Seifert surface satisfying a homotopically trivial plus assumption is freely slice. This subsumes all previously known methods for freely slicing good boundary links with two or more components, and provides new freely slice links.
This paper compares notions of double sliceness for links. The main result is to show that a large family of 2-component Montesinos links are not strongly doubly slice despite being weakly doubly slice and having doubly slice components. Our principal obstruction to strong double slicing comes by considering branched double covers. To this end we prove a result classifying Seifert fibered spaces which admit a smooth embeddings into integer homology $S^1 \times S^3$s by maps inducing surjections on the first homology group. A number of other results and examples pertaining to doubly slice links…
In the present paper we extend the definition of slice-torus invariant to links. We prove a few properties of the newly-defined slice-torus link invariants: the behaviour under crossing change, a slice genus bound, an obstruction to strong sliceness, and a combinatorial bound. Furthermore, we provide an application to the computation of the splitting number. Finally, we use the slice-torus link invariants, and the Whitehead doubling to define new strong concordance invariants for links, which are proven to be independent from the corresponding slice-torus link invariant.
We define a filtration of the smooth concordance group based on the genus of representative knots. We use the Heegaard Floer epsilon and Upsilon invariants to prove the quotient groups with respect to this filtration are infinitely generated. Results are applied to three infinite families of topologically slice knots.
We can construct a 4-manifold by attaching 2-handles to a 4-ball with framing r along the components of a link in the boundary of the 4-ball. We define a link as r-shake slice if there exists embedded spheres that represent the generators of the second homology of the 4-manifold. This naturally extends r-shake slice, a generalization of slice that has previously only been studied for knots, to links of more than one component. We also define a relative notion of shake r-concordance for links and versions with stricter conditions on the embedded spheres that we call strongly r-shake slice and s…
The bipolar filtration introduced by T. Cochran, S. Harvey, and P. Horn is a framework for the study of smooth concordance of topologically slice knots and links. It is known that there are topologically slice 1-bipolar knots which are not 2-bipolar. For knots, this is the highest known level at which the filtration does not stabilize. For the case of links with two or more components, we prove that the filtration does not stabilize at any level: for any n, there are topologically slice links which are n-bipolar but not (n+1)-bipolar. In the proof we describe an explicit geometric construction…
We prove that, for any ordinary sense slice 1-link $L$, we can define the Arf invariant and Arf(L)=0. We prove that, for any m-component 1-link L_1, there exists a 3m-component ordinary sense slaice 1-link L_2 of which L_1 is a sublink.
We give an example of a 3-component smoothly slice boundary link, each of whose components has a genus one Seifert surface, such that any metaboliser of the boundary link Seifert form is represented by 3 curves on the Seifert surfaces that form a link with nonvanishing Milnor triple linking number. We also give a generalisation to m-component links and higher Milnor invariants. We prove that our examples are ribbon and that all ribbon links are boundary slice.
The Turaev genus of a link can be thought of as a way of measuring how non-alternating a link is. A link is Turaev genus zero if and only if it is alternating, and in this viewpoint, links with large Turaev genus are very non-alternating. In this paper, we study Turaev genus one links, a class of links which includes almost alternating links. We prove that the Khovanov homology of a Turaev genus one link is isomorphic to $\mathbb{Z}$ in at least one of its extremal quantum gradings. As an application, we compute or nearly compute the maximal Thurston Bennequin number of a Turaev genus one link…