In previous work, the author defined the intersection graph of a chord diagram associated with string links (as in the theory of finite type invariants). In this paper, we classify the trees which can be obtained as intersection graphs of string link diagrams.
In previous work, we defined the intersection graph of a chord diagram associated with a string link (as in the theory of finite type invariants). In this paper, we look at the case when this graph is a tree, and we show that in many cases these trees determine the chord diagram (modulo the usual 1-term and 4-term relations).
In this paper, we characterize the sigma-adequacy of a link diagram in two ways: in terms of a certain edge subset of its Tait graph and in terms of a certain product of Tutte polynomials. Furthermore, we show that the symmetrized Tutte polynomial of the Tait graph of a link diagram can be written as a sum of these products of Tutte polynomials, where the sum is over the sigma-adequate states of the given link diagram. Using this state sum, we show that the number of sigma-adequate states of a link diagram is bounded above by the number of spanning trees in its associated Tait graph. By combin…
There is a well-known way to describe a link diagram as a (signed) plane graph, called its Tait graph. This concept was recently extended, providing a way to associate a set of embedded graphs (or ribbon graphs) to a link diagram. While every plane graph arises as a Tait graph of a unique link diagram, not every embedded graph represents a link diagram. Furthermore, although a Tait graph describes a unique link diagram, the same embedded graph can represent many different link diagrams. One is then led to ask which embedded graphs represent link diagrams, and how link diagrams presented by the…
Recently, Dasbach, Futer, Kalfagianni, Lin, and Stoltzfus extended the notion of a Tait graph by associating a set of ribbon graphs (or equivalently, embedded graphs) to a link diagram. Here we focus on Seifert graphs, which are the ribbon graphs of a knot or link diagram that arise from Seifert states. We provide a characterization of Seifert graphs in terms of Eulerian subgraphs. This characterization can be viewed as a refinement of the fact that Seifert graphs are bipartite. We go on to examine the family of ribbon graphs that arises by forming the parallels of a link diagram and determine…
Every link diagram can be represented as a signed ribbon graph. However, different link diagrams can be represented by the same ribbon graphs. We determine how checkerboard colourable diagrams of links in real projective space, and virtual link diagrams, that are represented by the same ribbon graphs are related to each other. We also find moves that relate the diagrams of links in real projective space that give rise to (all-A) ribbon graphs with exactly one vertex.
In this paper we present a systematic method to generate prime knot and prime link minimal triple-point projections, and then classify all classical prime knots and prime links with triple-crossing number at most four. We also extend the table of known knots and links with triple-crossing number equal to five. By introducing a new type of diagrammatic move, we reduce the number of generating moves on triple-crossing diagrams, and derive a minimal generating set of moves connecting triple-crossing diagrams of the same knot.
This paper presents a construction of fibered links $(K,Σ)$ out of chord diagrams $\sL$. Let $Γ$ be the incidence graph of $\sL$. Under certain conditions on $\sL$ the symmetrized Seifert matrix of $(K,Σ)$ equals the bilinear form of the simply-laced Coxeter system $(W,S)$ associated to $Γ$; and the monodromy of $(K,Σ)$ equals minus the Coxeter element of $(W,S)$. Lehmer's problem is solved for the monodromy of these Coxeter links.
Cobordism of virtual string links on $n$ strands is a combinatorial generalization of link cobordism. There exists a bijection between virtual string links up to cobordisms and elements of the group $\mathbb{Z}^{n(n-1)}$. This paper also shows that virtual string links up to unwelded equivalence are classified by those groups. Finally, the related theory of welded string link cobordism is defined herein and shown to be trivial for string links with one component.
Jin and Lee proved the following: Suppose that $D_1, \dots, D_n$ are link diagrams. Given a link $L$ which is partitioned into sublinks $L_1, \dots, L_n$ admitting diagrams $D_1, \dots, D_n$ respectively, there is a diagram $D$ of $L$ whose restrictions to $L_1, \dots, L_n$ are isotopic to $D_1, \dots, D_n$, respectively. In this paper we show that a similar result does hold for welded links and does not for virtual links.
A virtual link diagram is called normal if the associated abstract link diagram is checkerboard colorable, and a virtual link is normal if it has a normal diagram as a representative.In this paper, we introduce a method of converting a virtual link diagram to a normal virtual link diagram by use of the double covering technique. We show that the normal virtual link diagrams obtained from two equivalent virtual link diagrams are related by generalized Reidemeister moves and Kauffman flypes.
A virtual link diagram is called normal if the associated abstract link diagram is checkerboard colorable, and a virtual link is normal if it has a normal diagram as a representative. Normal virtual links have some properties similar to classical links.In this paper, we introduce a method of converting a virtual link diagram to a normal virtual link diagram. We show that the normal virtual link diagrams obtained by this method from two equivalent virtual link diagrams are equivalent. We discuss the relationship between this method and some invariants of virtual links.
Two string links are equivalent up to $2n$-moves and link-homotopy if and only if their all Milnor link-homotopy invariants are congruent modulo $n$. Moreover, the set of the equivalence classes forms a finite group generated by elements of order $n$. The classification induces that if two string links are equivalent up to $2n$-moves for every $n>0$, then they are link-homotopic.
Habegger and Lin gave a classification of the link-hmotopy classes of links as the link-homotopy classes of string links modulo the actions of conjugations and partial conjugations for string links. In this paper, we calculated the actions of the partial conjugations and the conjugations explicitly for 4- and 5-component string links which gave classifications (presentations) of the link-homotopy classes of 4- and 5-component links. As an application, we can run Habegger and Lin's algorithm which determines whether given two links are link-homotopoic or not for 4- and 5-component links.
We show that the Casson knot invariant, linking number and Milnor's triple linking number, together with a certain 2-string link invariant $V_2$, are necessary and sufficient to express any string link Vassiliev invariant of order two. Explicit combinatorial formulas are given for these invariants. This result is applied to the theory of claspers for string links.
A string figure is topologically a trivial knot lying on an imaginary plane orthogonal to the fingers with some crossings. The fingers prevent cancellation of these crossings. As a mathematical model of string figure we consider a knot diagram on the $xy$-plane in $xyz$-space missing some straight lines parallel to the $z$-axis. These straight lines correspond to fingers. We study minimal number of crossings of these knot diagrams under Reidemeister moves missing these lines.
In this paper we investigate the virtual string links via a probabilistic interpretation. This representation can be used to distinguish some virtual string links from classical string links. In order to study the algebraic structure behind this probabilistic interpretation we introduce the notion of virtual flat biquandle. The cocycle invariants associated with virtual flat biquandle is discussed.
A virtual link diagram is called mod $m$ almost classical if it admits an Alexander numbering valued in integers modulo $m$, and a virtual link is called mod $m$ almost classical if it has a mod $m$ almost classical diagram as a representative. In this paper, we introduce a method of constructing a mod $m$ almost classical virtual link diagram from a given virtual link diagram, which we call an $m$-fold cyclic covering diagram. The main result is that $m$-fold cyclic covering diagrams obtained from two equivalent virtual link diagrams are equivalent. Thus we have a well-defined map from the se…
We show that the map obtained by viewing a geometric (ie. representative) braid as a string link induces an isomorphism of the n-strand braid group onto the group of units of the n-strand string link monoid.
In this paper, we give a complete set of finite type string link invariants of degree <5. In addition to Milnor invariants, these include several string link invariants constructed by evaluating knot invariants on certain closure of (cabled) string links. We show that finite type invariants classify string links up to C_k-moves for k<6, which proves, at low degree, a conjecture due to Goussarov and Habiro. We also give a similar characterization of finite type concordance invariants of degree <6.
We classify link diagrams with Turaev genus one and two in terms of an alternating tangle structure of the link diagram. The proof involves surgery along simple closed curves on the Turaev surface, called cutting loops, which have corresponding cutting arcs that are visible on the planar link diagram. These also provide new obstructions for a link diagram on a surface to come from the Turaev surface algorithm.
By using the cohomology theory of quandles, quandle cocycle invariants and shadow quandle cocycle invariants are defined for oriented links and surface-links via broken surface diagrams. By using symmetric quandles, symmetric quandle cocycle invariants are also defined for unoriented links and surface-links via broken surface diagrams. A marked graph diagram is a link diagram possibly with $4$-valent vertices equipped with markers. S. J. Lomonaco, Jr. and K. Yoshikawa introduced a method of describing surface-links by using marked graph diagrams. In this paper, we give interpretations of these…
We prove that a virtual link diagrams satisfying two conditions on the Khovanov homology is minimal, that is, there is no virtual diagram representing the same link with smaller number of crossings. This approach works for both classical and virtual links
In this paper we use 3-manifold techniques to illuminate the structure of the string link monoid. In particular, we give a prime decomposition theorem for string links on two components as well as give necessary conditions for string links to commute under the stacking operation.
It is well known that surface-links in 4-space can be presented by diagrams on the plane of 4-valent spatial graphs with makers on the vertices, called marked graph diagrams. In this paper we extend the method of presenting surface-links by marked graph diagrams to presenting immersed surface-links. We also give some moves on marked graph diagrams that preserve the ambient isotopy classes of their presenting immersed surface-links.
A virtual string can be defined as an equivalence class of planar diagrams under certain kinds of diagrammatic moves. Virtual strings are related to virtual knots in that a simple operation on a virtual knot diagram produces a diagram for a virtual string. In this paper we consider three operations on a virtual string or virtual strings which produce another virtual string, namely covering, composition and cabling. In particular we study virtual strings unchanged by the covering operation. We also show how the based matrix of a composite virtual string is related to the based matrices of its c…
In a previous paper, the authors proved that Milnor link-homotopy invariants modulo $n$ classify classical string links up to $2n$-move and link-homotopy. As analogues to the welded case, in terms of Milnor invariants, we give here two classifications of welded string links up to $2n$-move and self-crossing virtualization, and up to $V^{n}$-move and self-crossing virtualization, respectively.
A marked graph diagram is a link diagram possibly with marked $4$-valent vertices. S. J. Lomonaco, Jr. and K. Yoshikawa introduced a method of representing surface-links by marked graph diagrams. Specially, K. Yoshikawa gave local moves on marked graph diagrams, nowadays called Yoshikawa moves. It is now known that two marked graph diagrams representing equivalent surface-links are related by a finite sequence of these Yoshikawa moves. In this paper, we provide some generating sets of Yoshikawa moves on marked graph diagrams representing unoriented surface-links, and also oriented surface-link…
We extend the notion of intersection graphs for knots in the theory of finite type invariants to string links. We use our definition to develop weight systems for string links via the adjacency matrix of the intersection graph, and show that these weight systems are related to the weight systems induced by the Conway and Homfly polynomials.
Every link in the 3-sphere has a projection to the plane where the only singularities are pairwise transverse triple points. The associated diagram, with height information at each triple point, is a triple-crossing diagram of the link. We give a set of diagrammatic moves on triple-crossing diagrams analogous to the Reidemeister moves on ordinary diagrams. The existence of n-crossing diagrams for every n>1 allows the definition of the n-crossing number. We prove that for any nontrivial, nonsplit link, other than the Hopf link, its triple-crossing number is strictly greater than its quintuple-c…
In the classical knot theory there is a well-known notion of descending diagram. From an arbitrary diagram one can easily obtain, by some crossing changes, a descending diagram which is a diagram of the unknot or unlink. In this paper the notion of descending diagram for knots and links in the real space is extended to the case of nonoriented knots and links in the projective space. It is also shown that this notion cannot be extended to oriented links.
Shimizu introduced a region crossing change unknotting operation for knot diagrams. As extensions, two integral region choice problems were proposed and the existences of solutions of the problems were shown for all non-trivial knot diagrams by Ahara and Suzuki, and Harada. We relate both integral region choice problems with an Alexander numbering for regions of a link diagram, and give alternative proofs of the existences of solutions for knot diagrams. We also discuss the problems on link diagrams. For each of the problems on the diagram of a two-component link, we give a necessary and suffi…
We show that the exterior powers of the matrix valued random walk invariant of string links, introduced by Lin, Tian, and Wang, are isomorphic to the graded components of the tangle functor associated to the Alexander Polynomial by Ohtsuki divided by the zero graded invariant of the functor. Several resulting properties of these representations of the string link monoids are discussed.
We extend knot Floer homology to string links in D^{2} \times I and to d-based links in arbitrary three manifolds, without any hypothesis on the null-homology of the components. As for knot Floer homology we obtain a description of the Euler characteristic of the resulting homology groups (in D^{2} \times I) in terms of the torsion of the string link. Additionally, a state summation approach is described using the equivalent of Kauffman states. Furthermore, we examine the situtation for braids, prove that for alternating string links the Euler characteristic determines the homology, and develo…
The hyperbolic volume of a link complement is known to be unchanged when a half-twist is added to a link diagram, and a suitable 3-punctured sphere is present in the complement. We generalize this to the simplicial volume of link complements by analyzing the corresponding toroidal decompositions. We then use it to prove a refined upper bound for the volume in terms of twists of various lengths for links.
We prove a Kauffman-Murasugi-Thistlethwaite theorem for alternating links in thickened surfaces. It states that any reduced alternating diagram of a link in a thickened surface has minimal crossing number, and any two reduced alternating diagrams of the same link have the same writhe. This result is proved more generally for link diagrams that are adequate, and the proof involves a two-variable generalization of the Jones polynomial for surface links defined by Krushkal. The main result is used to establish the first and second Tait conjectures for links in thickened surfaces and for virtual l…
A. S. Lipson constructed two state models yielding the same classical link invariant obtained from the Kauffman polynomial $F(a,z)$. In this paper, we apply Lipson's state models to marked graph diagrams of surface-links, and observe when they induce surface-link invariants.
We determine the minimal number of colors for non-trivial $\mathbb{Z}$-colorings on the standard minimal diagrams of $\mathbb{Z}$-colorable torus links. Also included are complete classifications of such $\mathbb{Z}$-colorings and of such $\mathbb{Z}$-colorings by only four colors, which are shown by using rack colorings on link diagrams.
In paper "A new twist on Lorenz links" (Journal of Topology 2(2009), 227-248) Joan Birman and Ilya Kofman prove the coincidence of the class of Lorenz links and the class of twisted links. The proof in that work is algebraic. We will identify this class in terms of grid diagrams and provide a transparent geometric argument for Birman-Kofman's result.
In the present paper we bring together minimality conditions proposed in previous two papers and present some new minimality conditions for classical and virtual knots and links.
We introduce a new very large family of transformations of rectangular diagrams of links that preserve the isotopy class of the link. We provide an example when two diagrams of the same complexity are related by such a transformation and are not obtained from one another by any sequence of `simpler' moves not increasing the complexity of the diagram along the way.
We describe a new class of minimal link diagrams. This class includes certain alternating diagrams, the standard diagrams of all torus links, and numerous homogeneous diagrams whose minimality has not been proven before. Besides, we describe a new larger class of link diagrams with the least number of Seifert circles among all diagrams of a given link. Our approach refers to the Morton-Franks-Williams inequality.
It was shown that any $\mathbb{Z}$-colorable link has a diagram which admits a non-trivial $\mathbb{Z}$-coloring with at most four colors. In this paper, we consider minimal numbers of colors for non-trivial $\mathbb{Z}$-colorings on minimal diagrams of $\mathbb{Z}$-colorable links. We show, for any positive integer $N$, there exists a minimal diagram of a $\mathbb{Z}$-colorable link such that any $\mathbb{Z}$-coloring on the diagram has at least $N$ colors. On the other hand, it is shown that certain $\mathbb{Z}$-colorable torus links have minimal diagrams admitting $\mathbb{Z}$-colorings wit…
This report lists the link diagrams in S^3 for all principal congruence link complements for which such a link diagram is known. Several unpublished link diagrams are included. Related to this, we also include one link diagram for an arithmetic regular tessellation link complement.
In this paper we study the relation between two diagrammatic representations of links in lens spaces: the disk diagram and the grid diagram and we find how to pass from one to the other. We also investigate whether the HOMFLY-PT invariant and the Link Floer Homology are essential invariants, that is, we try to understand if these invariants are able to distinguish links in $L(p,q)$ covered by the same link in $\mathbf{S}^3$. In order to do so, we generalize the combinatorial definition of Knot Floer Homology in lens spaces to the case of links and we analyze how both the invariants change when…
In this paper we study further when tangles embed into the unknot, the unlink or a split link. In particular, we study obstructions to these properties through geometric characterizations, tangle sums and colorings. As an application we determine when each prime 2-string tangle with up to seven crossings embeds into the unknot, the unlink or a split link.
We define an equivalence relation on graphs with signed edges, such that the associated adjacency matrices of two equivalent graphs are congruent over $\mathbb{Z}$. We show that signed graphs whose eigenvalues are larger than $-2$ are equivalent to one of the simply laced Dynkin diagrams: $A_{n}$, $D_{n}$, $E_{6}$, $E_{7}$ and $E_{8}$. Checkerboard graph links are a class of fibred strongly quasipositive links which include positive braid links. We use the previous result to prove that a checkerboard graph link with maximal signature is isotopic to one of the links realized by the simply laced…
In this paper we formalize a combinatorial object for describing link diagrams called a Planar Diagram Code. PD-codes are used by the KnotTheory Mathematica package developed by Bar-Natan, et al. We present the set of PD-codes as a stand alone object and discuss its relationship with link diagrams. We give an explicit algorithm for reconstructing a knot diagram on a surface from a PD-code. We also discuss the intrinsic symmetries of PD-codes (i.e., invertibility and chirality). The moves analogous to the Reidemeister moves are also explored, and we show that the given set of PD-codes modulo th…
To a rational homology sphere graph manifold one can associate a weighted tree invariant called splice diagram. In this article we prove a sufficient numerical condition on the splice diagram for a graph manifold to be a singularity link. We also show that if two manifolds have the same splice diagram, then their universal abelian covers are homeomorphic. To prove the last theorem we have to generalize our notions to orbifolds.
For an oriented virtual link, L.H. Kauffman defined the f-polynomial (Jones polynomial). The supporting genus of a virtual link diagram is the minimal genus of a surface in which the diagram can be embedded. In this paper we show that the span of the f-polynomial of an alternating virtual link L is determined by the number of crossings of any alternating diagram of L and the supporting genus of the diagram. It is a generalization of Kauffman-Murasugi-Thistlethwaite's theorem. We also prove a similar result for a virtual link diagram that is obtained from an alternating virtual link diagram by …
In this paper, we define the set of singular grid diagrams $\mathcal{SG}$ which provides a unified description for singular links, singular Legendrian links, singular transverse links, and singular braids. We also classify the complete set of all equivalence relations on $\mathcal{SG}$ which induce the bijection onto each singular object. This is an extension of the known result of Ng-Thurston for non-singular links and braids.