In this note we reconsider a familiar result in Vassiliev knot theory - that the coefficients of the Alexander-Conway polynomial determine the top row of the Kontsevich integral - from the point of view of Kazuo Habiro's clasper theory. We observe that in this setting the calculation reflects the topology of the universal cyclic covering space of a claspered knot's complement.
A branched covering surface-knot is a surface-knot in the form of a branched covering over a surface-knot. For a branched covering surface-knot, we have a numerical invariant called the simplifying number. We show that branched covering surface-knots with degree three have the simplifying numbers less than three.
We show that, for any prime p, a knot K in the 3-sphere is determined by its p-fold cyclic unbranched covering. We also investigate when the m-fold cyclic unbranched covering of a knot coincides with the n-fold cyclic unbranched covering of another knot, for different coprime integers m and n.
A branched covering surface-knot is a surface-knot in the form of a branched covering over an oriented surface-knot $F$, where we include the case when the covering has no branch points. A branched covering surface-knot is presented by a graph called a chart on a surface diagram of $F$. We can simplify a branched covering surface-knot by an addition of 1-handles with chart loops to a form such that its chart is the union of free edges and 1-handles with chart loops. We investigate properties of such simplifications for the case when branched covering surface-knots have a non-zero number of bra…
A branched covering surface-knot over an oriented surface-knot $F$ is a surface-knot in the form of a branched covering over $F$. A branched covering surface-knot over $F$ is presented by a graph called a chart on a surface diagram of $F$. For a branched covering surface-knot, an addition of 1-handles equipped with chart loops is a simplifying operation which deforms the chart to the form of the union of free edges and 1-handles with chart loops. We investigate properties of such simplifications.
Strongly-cyclic branched coverings of knots are studied by using their (g,1)-decompositions. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of such coverings are obtained. It is also shown that their fundamental groups admit geometric g-words cyclic presentations.
In this paper we study the connections between cyclic presentations of groups and branched cyclic coverings of (1,1)-knots. In particular, we prove that every n-fold strongly-cyclic branched covering of a (1,1)-knot admits a cyclic presentation for the fundamental group encoded by a Heegaard diagram of genus n.
It is known that any surface knot can be transformed to an unknotted surface knot or a surface knot which has a diagram with no triple points by a finite number of 1-handle additions. The minimum number of such 1-handles is called the unknotting number or the triple point cancelling number, respectively. In this paper, we give upper bounds and lower bounds of unknotting numbers and triple point cancelling numbers of torus-covering knots, which are surface knots in the form of coverings over the standard torus $T$. Upper bounds are given by using $m$-charts on $T$ presenting torus-covering knot…
We show that every strongly-cyclic branched covering of a (1,1)-knot is a Dunwoody manifold. This result, together with the converse statement previously obtained by Grasselli and Mulazzani, proves that the class of Dunwoody manifolds coincides with the class of strongly-cyclic branched coverings of (1,1)-knots. As a consequence, we obtain a parametrization of (1,1)-knots by 4-tuples of integers. Moreover, using a representation of (1,1)-knots by the mapping class group of the twice punctured torus, we provide an algorithm which gives the parametrization of all torus knots.
We consider knots equipped with a representation of their knot groups onto a dihedral group D_{2n} (where n is odd). To each such knot there corresponds a closed 3-manifold, the (irregular) dihedral branched covering space, with the branching set over the knot forming a link in it. We report a variety of results relating to the problem of passing from the initial data of a D_{2n}-coloured knot to a surgery presentation of the corresponding branched covering space and covering link. In particular, we describe effective algorithms for constructing such presentations. A by-product of these invest…
We study the connections among the mapping class group of the twice punctured torus, the cyclic branched coverings of (1,1)-knots and the cyclic presentations of groups. We give the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of the n-fold strongly-cyclic branched coverings of (1,1)-knots, through the elements of the mapping class group. We prove that every n-fold strongly-cyclic branched covering of a (1,1)-knot admits a cyclic presentation for the fundamental group, arising from a Heegaard splitting of genus n. Moreover, we give an algorithm to produce the cyclic pre…
For a virtual knot $K$ and an integer $r\geq 0$, the $r$-covering $K^{(r)}$ is defined by using the indices of chords on a Gauss diagram of $K$. In this paper, we prove that for any finite set of virtual knots $J_0,J_2,J_3,\dots,J_m$, there is a virtual knot $K$ such that $K^{(r)}=J_r$ $(r=0\mbox{ and }2\leq r\leq m)$, $K^{(1)}=K$, and otherwise $K^{(r)}=J_0$.
We are interested in finite groups acting orientation-preservingly on 3-manifolds (arbitrary actions, ie not necessarily free actions). In particular we consider finite groups which contain an involution with nonempty connected fixed point set. This condition is satisfied by the isometry group of any hyperbolic cyclic branched covering of a strongly invertible knot as well as by the isometry group of any hyperbolic 2-fold branched covering of a knot in the 3-sphere. In the paper we give a characterization of nonsolvable groups of this type. Then we consider some possible applications to the st…
We discuss 3-manifolds which are cyclic coverings of the 3-sphere, branched over 2-bridge knots and links. Different descriptions of these manifolds are presented: polyhedral, Heegaard diagram, Dehn surgery and coloured graph constructions. Using these descriptions, we give presentations for their fundamental groups, which are cyclic presentations in the case of 2-bridge knots. The homology groups are given for a wide class of cases. Moreover, we prove that each singly-cyclic branched covering of a 2-bridge link is the composition of a meridian-cyclic branched covering of a determined link and…
We consider surface links in the 4-space which are presented by the form of simple branched coverings over the standard torus, which we call torus-covering links. In this paper, we study unknotting numbers of torus-covering links. In some cases, we can determine the unknotting numbers.
We prove that a prime knot K is not determined by its p-fold cyclic branched cover for at most two odd primes p. Moreover, we show that for a given odd prime p, the p-fold cyclic branched cover of a prime knot K is the p-fold cyclic branched cover of at most one more knot K' non equivalent to K. To prove the main theorem, a result concerning the symmetries of knots is also obtained. This latter result can be interpreted as a characterisation of the trivial knot.
Given any knot k, there exists a hyperbolic knot tilde k with arbitrarily large volume such that the knot group pi k is a quotient of pi tilde k by a map that sends meridian to meridian and longitude to longitude. The knot tilde k can be chosen to be ribbon concordant to k and also to have the same Alexander invariant as k.
In this paper we show that all 3-manifolds of a family introduced by M. J. Dunwoody are cyclic coverings of lens spaces (eventually $\bf S^3$), branched over genus one 1-bridge knots. As a consequence, we give a positive answer to the Dunwoody conjecture that all the elements of a wide subclass are cyclic coverings of $\bf S^3$ branched over a knot. Moreover, we show that all branched cyclic coverings of a 2-bridge knot belong to this subclass; this implies that the fundamental group of each branched cyclic covering of a 2-bridge knot admits a geometric cyclic presentation.
In the present paper, we develop the parity theory invented in \cite{ManSb}; we construct new parities for two-component (virtual and free) links. New parities significantly depend on geometrical properties of diagrams; in particular, they are mutation-sensitive. New parities can be used practically in all problems, where parities were previously applied.
In a recent paper Y. Hu has given a sufficient condition for the fundamental group of the r-th cyclic branched covering of S^3 along a prime knot to be left-orderable in terms of representations of the knot group. Applying her criterion to a large class of two-bridge knots, we determine a range of the integer r>1 for which the r-th cyclic branched covering of S^3 along the knot is left-orderable.
We consider the space of all representations of the commutator subgroup of a knot group into a finite abelian group Σ, together with a shift map σ_x. This is a finite dynamical system, introduced by D.Silver and S. Williams. We describe the lengths of its cycles in terms of the roots of the Alexander polynomial of the knot. This generalizes our previous result for Σ= Z/p, p is prime, and gives a complete classification of depth 2 solvable coverings of the knot complement.
We consider a surface link in the 4-space which can be presented by a simple branched covering over the standard torus, which we call a torus-covering link. Torus-covering links include spun $T^2$-knots and turned spun $T^2$-knots. In this paper we braid a torus-covering link over the standard 2-sphere. This gives an upper estimate of the braid index of a torus-covering link. In particular we show that the turned spun $T^2$-knot of the torus $(2,\,p)$-knot has the braid index four.
The Weil conjecture is a delightful theorem for algebraic varieties on finite fields and an important model for dynamical zeta functions. In this paper, we prove a functional equation of Lefschetz zeta functions for infinite cyclic coverings which is analogous to the Weil conjecture. Applying this functional equation to knot theory, we obtain a new view point on the reciprocity of the Alexander polynomial of a knot.
Using the covering involution on the double branched cover of the three-sphere branched along a knot, and adapting ideas of Hendricks-Manolescu and Hendricks-Hom-Lidman, we define new knot invariants and apply them to deduce novel linear independence results in the smooth concordance group of knots.
Let $t_{α,β}\subset S^2\times S^1$ be an ordinary fiber of a Seifert fibering of $S^2\times S^1$ with two exceptional fibers of order $α$. We show that any Seifert manifold with Euler number zero is a branched covering of $S^2\times S^1$ with branching $t_{α,β}$ if $α\geq3$. We compute the Seifert invariants of the Abelian covers of $S^2\times S^1$ branched along a $t_{α,β}$. We also show that $t_{2,1}$, a non-trivial torus knot in $S^2\times S^1$, is not universal.
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.
A Seifert surgery is an integral surgery on a knot in S^3 producing a Seifert fiber space which may contain an exceptional fiber of index 0. The Seifert Surgery Network is a 1-dimensional complex whose vertices correspond to Seifert surgeries; its edges correspond to single twistings along "seiferters" or "annular pairs of seiferters". One problem of the network is whether there is a path from each vertex to a vertex on a torus knot, the most basic Seifert surgery. We give a method to find seiferters and annular pairs of seiferters for Seifert surgeries obtained by taking two--fold branched co…
We prove that any knot or link in any 3-manifold can be nicely decomposed (splitted) by a filling Dehn sphere. This has interesting consequences in the study of branched coverings over knots and links. We give an algorithm for computing Johansson diagrams of filling Dehn surfaces out from coverings of 3-manifolds branched over knots or links.
We give a construction of quandle cocycles from group cocycles, especially, for any integer p \geq 3, quandle cocycles of the dihedral quandle R_p from group cocycles of the cyclic group Z/p. We will show that a group 3-cocycle of Z/p gives rise to a non-trivial quandle 3-cocycle of R_p. When p is an odd prime, since dim_{F_p} H_Q^3(R_p; F_p) = 1, our 3-cocycle is a constant multiple of the Mochizuki 3-cocycle up to coboundary. Dually, we construct a group cycle represented by a cyclic branched covering branched along a knot K from the quandle cycle associated with a colored diagram of K.
We prove a Smith-type inequality for regular covering spaces in monopole Floer homology. Using the monopole Floer / Heegaard Floer correspondence, we deduce that if a 3-manifold Y admits a p^n-sheeted regular cover that is a Z/pZ-L-space (for p prime), then Y is a Z/pZ-L-space. Further, we obtain constraints on surgeries on a knot being regular covers over other surgeries on the same knot, and over surgeries on other knots.
We give a new geometric obstruction to the iterated Bing double of a knot being a slice link: for n>1 the (n+1)-st iterated Bing double of a knot is rationally slice if and only if the n-th iterated Bing double of the knot is rationally slice. The main technique of the proof is a covering link construction simplifying a given link. We prove certain similar geometric obstructions for n <= 1 as well. Our results are sharp enough to conclude, when combined with algebraic invariants, that if the n-th iterated Bing double of a knot is slice for some n, then the knot is algebraically slice. Also our…
We prove that there is a knot $K$ transverse to $ξ_{std}$, the tight contact structure of $S^3$, such that every contact 3-manifold $(M, ξ)$ can be obtained as a contact covering branched along $K$. By contact covering we mean a map $φ: M \to S^3$ branched along $K$ such that $ξ$ is contact isotopic to the lifting of $ξ_{std}$ under $φ$.
In 1992, Osamu Kakimizu defined a complex that has become known as the Kakimizu complex of a knot. Vertices correspond to isotopy classes of minimal genus Seifert surfaces of the knot. Higher dimensional simplices correspond to collections of such classes of Seifert surfaces that admit disjoint representatives. We show that this complex is simply connected.
We give the rectangle condition for strong irreducibility of Heegaard splittings of $3$-manifolds with non-empty boundary. We apply this to a generalized Heegaard splitting of a $2$-fold covering of $S^3$ branched along a link. The condition implies that any thin meridional level surface in the link complement is incompressible. We also show that the additivity of knot width holds for a composite knot satisfying the condition.
We obtain an explicit representation, as Dunwoody manifolds, of all cyclic branched coverings of torus knots of type $(p,mp\pm 1)$, with $p>1$ and $m>0$.
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).
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…
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…
In this paper we study kleinian groups of Schottky type whose limit set is a wild knot in the sense of Artin and Fox. We show that, if the ``original knot'' fibers over the circle then the wild knot $Λ$ also fibers over the circle. As a consequence, the universal covering of $\mathbb{S}^{3}-Λ$ is $\mathbb{R}^{3}$. We prove that the complement of a dynamically-defined fibered wild knot can not be a complete hyperbolic 3-manifold.
In this paper we show that periodic Takahashi 3-manifolds are cyclic coverings of the connected sum of two lens spaces (possibly cyclic coverings of the 3-sphere), branched over knots. When the base space is a 3-sphere, we prove that the associated branching set is a two-bridge knot of genus one, and we determine its type. Moreover, a geometric cyclic presentation for the fundamental groups of these manifolds is obtained in several interesting cases, including the ones corresponding to the branched cyclic coverings of the 3-sphere.
We provide an alternative proof of a sufficient condition for the fundamental group of the $n^{th}$ cyclic branched cover of $S^3$ along a prime knot $K$ to be left-orderable, which is originally due to Boyer-Gordon-Watson. As an application of this sufficient condition, we show that for any $(p,q)$ two-bridge knot, with $p\equiv 3 \text{ mod } 4$, there are only finitely many cyclic branched covers whose fundamental groups are not left-orderable. This answers a question posed by D{\c a}bkowski, Przytycki and Togha.
The aim of this paper is to investigate the relations between Seifert manifolds and (1,1)-knots. In particular, we prove that every orientable Seifert manifold with invariants {Oo,0|-1;(p,q),...,(p,q),(l, l-1)} has a cyclically presented fundamental group and, moreover, it is the n-fold strongly-cyclic covering of the lens space L(|nlq-p|,q), branched over the (1,1)-knot K(q,q(nl-2),p-2q,p-q) if p>=2q, and over the (1,1)-knot K(p-q,2q-p,q(nl-2),p-q) if p<2q.
We develop an algebraic representation for (1,1)-knots using the mapping class group of the twice punctured torus MCG(T,2). We prove that every (1,1)-knot in a lens space L(p,q) can be represented by the composition of an element of a certain rank two free subgroup of MCG(T,2) with a standard element only depending on the ambient space. As a notable examples, we obtain a representation of this type for all torus knots and for all two-bridge knots. Moreover, we give explicit cyclic presentations for the fundamental groups of the cyclic branched coverings of torus knots of type (k,ck+2).
Given a homomorphism from a link group to a group, we introduce a $K_1$-class in another way, which is a generalization of the 1-variable Alexander polynomial. We compare the $K_1$-class with $K_1$-classes in \cite{Nos} and with Reidemeister torsions. As a corollary, we show a relation to Reidemeister torsions of finite cyclic covering spaces, and show reciprocity in some senses.
In this paper we investigate the Alexander polynomial of (1,1)-knots, which are knots lying in a 3-manifold with genus one at most, admitting a particular decomposition. More precisely, we study the connections between the Alexander polynomial and a polynomial associated to a cyclic presentation of the fundamental group of an n-fold strongly-cyclic covering branched over the knot, which we call the n-cyclic polynomial. In this way, we generalize to all (1,1)-knots, with the only exception of those lying in S^2\times S^1, a result obtained by J. Minkus for 2-bridge knots and extended by the aut…
J.P. Levine showed that the Conway polynomial of a link is a product of two factors: one is the Conway polynomial of a knot which is obtained from the link by banding together the components; and the other is determined by the $\barμ$-invariants of a string link with the link as its closure. We give another description of the latter factor: the determinant of a matrix whose entries are linking pairings in the infinite cyclic covering space of the knot complement, which take values in the quotient field of ${\Bbb Z}[t,t^{-1}]$. In addition, we give a relation between the Taylor expansion of a l…
We provide related Dehn surgery descriptions for rational homology spheres and a class of their regular finite cyclic covering spaces. As an application, we use the surgery descriptions to relate the Casson invariants of the covering spaces to that of the base space. Finally, we show that this places restrictions on the number of finite and cyclic Dehn fillings of the knot complements in the covering spaces beyone those imposed by Culler-Gordon-Luecke-Shalen and Boyer-Zhang.
We calculate the Chern-Simons invariants of the hyperbolic orbifolds of the knot with Conway's notation $C(2n, 3)$ using the Schläfli formula for the generalized Chern-Simons function on the family of $C(2n,3)$ cone-manifold structures. We present the concrete and explicit formula of them. We apply the general instructions of Hilden, Lozano, and Montesinos-Amilibia and extend the Ham and Lee's methods. As an application, we calculate the Chern-Simons invariants of cyclic coverings of the hyperbolic $C(2n,3)$ orbifolds.
The leading coefficient of the Alexander polynomial of a knot is the most informative element in this invariant, and the growth of orders of the first homology of cyclic branched covering spaces is also a familiar subject. Accordingly, there are a lot of investigations into each subject. However, there is no study which deal with the both subjects in a same context. In this paper, we show that the two subjects are closely related in p-adic number theory and dynamical systems.
For a cyclic covering map $(Σ,K) \to (Σ',K')$ between two pairs of a 3-manifold and a knot each, we describe the fundamental group $π_1(Σ\setminus K)$ in terms of $π_1(Σ' \setminus K')$. As a consequence, we give an alternative proof for the fact that certain knots in $S^3$ cannot be represented as the preimage of any knot in a lens space, which is related to free periods of knots. In our proofs, the subgroup of a group $G$ generated by the commutators and the $p$th power of each element of $G$ plays a key role.
The classical abelian invariants of a knot are the Alexander module, which is the first homology group of the the unique infinite cyclic covering space of S^3-K, considered as a module over the (commutative) Laurent polynomial ring, and the Blanchfield linking pairing defined on this module. From the perspective of the knot group, G, these invariants reflect the structure of G^(1)/G^(2) as a module over G/G^(1) (here G^(n) is the n-th term of the derived series of G). Hence any phenomenon associated to G^(2) is invisible to abelian invariants. This paper begins the systematic study of invarian…
Let $C(2n, 3)$ be the family of two bridge knots of slope $(4n+1)/(6n+1)$. We calculate the volumes of the $C(2n, 3)$ cone-manifolds using the Schläfli formula. We present the concrete and explicit formula of them. We apply the general instructions of Hilden, Lozano, and Montesinos-Amilibia and extend the Ham, Mednykh, and Petrov's methods. As an application, we give the volumes of the cyclic coverings over those knots. For the fundamental group of $C( 2n, 3)$, we take and tailor Hoste and Shanahan's. As a byproduct, we give an affirmative answer for their question whether their presentation i…
An important geometric invariant of links in lens spaces is the lift in the 3-sphere of a link $L$ in $L(p,q)$, that is the counterimage $\widetilde L$ of $L$ under the universal covering of $L(p,q)$. If lens spaces are defined as a lens with suitable boundary identifications, then a link in $L(p,q)$ can be represented by a disk diagram, that is to say, a regular projection of the link on a disk. Starting from a disk diagram of $L$, we obtain a diagram of the lift $\widetilde L$ in the 3-sphere. With this construction we are able to find different knots and links in $L(p,q)$ having equivalent …
Let $K$ be a tame knot embedded in $\mathbf{S}^3$. We address the problem of finding the minimal degree non-cyclic cover $p:X \rightarrow \mathbf{S}^3 \smallsetminus K$. When $K$ has non-trivial Alexander polynomial we construct finite non-abelian representations $ρ:π_1\left(\mathbf{S}^3 \smallsetminus K\right) \rightarrow G$, and provide bounds for the order of $G$ in terms of the crossing number of $K$ which is an improvement on a result of Broaddus in this case. Using classical covering space theory along with the theory of Alexander stratifications we establish an upper and lower bound for…