The tunnel number of the sum of n knots is at least n

Double branched covers of tunnel number one knots

We provide criteria ensuring that a tunnel number one knot $K$ is not determined by its double branched cover, in the sense that the double branched cover is also the double branched cover of a knot $K'$ not equivalent to $K$.

Constructing knot tunnels using giant steps

This is the first of three papers that refine and extend portions of our earlier preprint, "Depth of a knot tunnel." Together, they rework the entire preprint. H. Goda, M. Scharlemann, and A. Thompson described a general construction of all tunnels of all tunnel number 1 knots using "tunnel moves". We apply the theory that we introduced in "The tree of knot tunnels" to study this construction. In particular, we use it to calculate the number of distinct minimal sequences of tunnel moves that can produce a given tunnel. As a consequence, we see that for a sparse infinite set of tunnels, the min…

The growth rate of the tunnel number of m-small knots

In a previous paper the authors defined the growth rate of the tunnel number of knots, an invariant that measures that asymptotic behavior of the tunnel number under connected sum. In this paper we calculate the growth rate of the tunnel number of m-small knots in terms of their bridge indices.

Involutions of knots that fix unknotting tunnels

Let K be a knot that has an unknotting tunnel tau. We prove that K admits a strong involution that fixes tau pointwise if and only if K is a two-bridge knot and tau its upper or lower tunnel.

On composite types of tunnel number two knots

Let $K$ be a tunnel number two knot. Then, by considering the $(g, b)$-decompositions, $K$ is one of (3, 0)-, (2, 1)-, (1, 2)- or (0, 3)-knots. In the present paper, we analyze the connected sum summands of composite tunnel number two knots and give a complete table of those summands from the point of view of $(g, b)$-decompositions.

The depth of a knot tunnel

The theory of tunnel number 1 knots detailed in our previous paper, The tree of knot tunnels, provides a non-negative integer invariant called the depth of the tunnel. We give various results related to the depth invariant. Noting that it equals the minimum number of Goda-Scharlemann-Thompson tunnel moves needed to construct the tunnel, we calculate the number of distinct minimal sequences of tunnel moves that can produce a given tunnel. Next, we give a recursion that tells the minimum bridge number of a knot having a tunnel of depth D. The rate of growth of this value improves the known estim…

Twisted Alexander polynomials of tunnel number one Montesinos knots

We calculate the twisted Alexander polynomials of all tunnel number one Montesinos knots associated to their $SL_2(\mathbb{C})$-representations and obtain their leading coefficients and degrees. As a corollary, we get some interesting examples, that is, nonfibered knots with monic Alexander polynomials which have non-monic twisted Alexander polynomials.

There are no unexpected tunnel number one knots of genus one

The only knots that are tunnel number one and genus one are those that are already known: 2-bridge knots obtained by plumbing together two unknotted annuli and the satellite examples classified by Eudave-Munoz and by Morimoto-Sakuma. This confirms a conjecture first made by Goda and Teragaito.

Classification of unknotting tunnels for two bridge knots

In this paper, we show that any unknotting tunnel for a two bridge knot is isotopic to either one of known ones. This together with Morimoto-Sakuma's result gives the complete classification of unknotting tunnels for two bridge knots up to isotopies and homeomorphisms.

On the degeneration ratio of tunnel numbers and free tangle decompositions of knots

In this paper, we introduce a notion called n/k-free tangle and study the degeneration ratio of tunnel numbers of knots.

Tunnel number degeneration under the connected sum of prime knots

We study 2-string free tangle decompositions of knots with tunnel number two. As an application, we construct infinitely many counter-examples to a conjecture in the literature stating that the tunnel number of the connected sum of prime knots doesn't degenerate by more than one.

Tunnel number one, genus one fibered knots

We determine the genus one fibered knots in lens spaces that have tunnel number one. We also show that every tunnel number one, once-punctured torus bundle is the result of Dehn filling a component of the Whitehead link in the 3-sphere.

The tunnel number of all 11 and 12 crossing alternating knots

Using exhaustive techniques and results from Lackenby and many others, we compute the tunnel number of all 1655 alternating 11 and 12 crossing knots and of 881 non-alternating 11 and 12 crossing knots. We also find all 5525 Montesinos knots with 14 crossings or fewer.

Iterated splitting and the classification of knot tunnels

For a genus-1 1-bridge knot in the 3-sphere, that is, a (1,1)-knot, a middle tunnel is a tunnel that is not an upper or lower tunnel for some (1,1)-position. Most torus knots have a middle tunnel, and non-torus-knot examples were obtained by Goda, Hayashi, and Ishihara. In a previous paper, we generalized their construction and calculated the slope invariants for the resulting examples. We give an iterated version of the construction that produces many more examples, and calculate their slope invariants. If one starts with the trivial knot, the iterated constructions produce all the 2-bridge k…

具有四号线性指数和二号线性数的双曲L空间结

On hyperbolic L-space knots with braid index four and tunnel number two

本文首次发现具有四号线性指数和二号线性数的双曲L空间结的无限族，包含t10496和o9_34409。

Hyperbolic (1,2)-knots in S^3 with crosscap number two and tunnel number one

A knot in S^3 is said to have crosscap number two if it bounds a once-punctured Klein bottle but not a Moebius band. In this paper we give a method of constructing crosscap number two hyperbolic (1,2)-knots with tunnel number one which are neither 2-bridge nor (1,1)-knots. An explicit infinite family of such knots is discussed in detail.

Essential meridional surfaces for tunnel number one knots

We show that for each pair of positive integers g and n, there are infinitely many tunnel number one knots, whose exteriors contain an essential meridional surface of genus g, and with 2n boundary components. We also show that for each positive integer n, there are tunnel number one knots whose exteriors contain n disjoint, non-parallel, closed incompressible surfaces, each of genus n.

On tunnel number one knots that are not (1,n)

We show that the bridge number of a $t$ bridge knot in $S^3$ with respect to an unknotted genus $t$ surface is bounded below by a function of the distance of the Heegaard splitting induced by the $t$ bridges. It follows that for any natural number $n$, there is a tunnel number one knot in $S^3$ that is not $(1,n)$.

Additive tunnel number and primitive elements

It is proven here that if the connected sum of two tunnel number one knots in the 3-sphere is a tunnel number two knot, then at least one of the summand knots has a genus two Heegaard splitting with a meridian as a primitive element. Hence this is a necessary and sufficient condition for tunnel number one knots to have additive tunnel number.

Tunnel leveling, depth, and bridge numbers

This is the third of three papers that refine and extend portions of our earlier preprint, "The depth of a knot tunnel." Together, they rework the entire preprint. In this paper, we use the theory of tunnel number 1 knots that we introduced in "The tree of knot tunnels" to strengthen the Tunnel Leveling Theorem of H. Goda, M. Scharlemann, and A. Thompson. This yields considerable information about bridge numbers of tunnel number 1 knots. In particular, we calculate the minimum bridge number of a knot as a function of the maximum depth invariant d of its tunnels. The growth of this value is on …

On nonsimple knots in lens spaces with tunnel number one

A knot k in a closed orientable 3-manifold is called nonsimple if the exterior of k possesses a properly embedded essential surface of nonnegative Euler characteristic. We show that if k is a nonsimple prime tunnel number one knot in a lens space M (where M does not contain any embedded Klein bottles), then k is a (1,1) knot. Elements of the proof include handle addition and Dehn filling results/techniques of Jaco, Eudave-Munoz and Gordon as well as structure results of Schultens on the Heegaard splittings of graph manifolds.

Middle tunnels by splitting

For a genus-1 1-bridge knot in the 3-sphere, that is, a (1,1)-knot, a middle tunnel is a tunnel that is not an upper or lower tunnel for some (1,1)-position. Most torus knots have a middle tunnel, and non-torus-knot examples were obtained by Goda, Hayashi, and Ishihara. We generalize their construction and calculate the slope invariants for the resulting middle tunnels. In particular, we obtain the slope sequence of the original example of Goda, Hayashi, and Ishihara.

The tree of knot tunnels

We present a new theory which describes the collection of all tunnels of tunnel number 1 knots in the 3-sphere (up to orientation-preserving equivalence in the sense of Heegaard splittings) using the disk complex of the genus-2 handlebody and associated structures. It shows that each knot tunnel is obtained from the tunnel of the trivial knot by a uniquely determined sequence of simple cabling constructions. A cabling construction is determined by a single rational parameter, so there is a corresponding numerical parameterization of all tunnels by sequences of such parameters and some addition…

On the growth rate of tunnel number of knots

Given a knot $K$ in a closed orientable manifold $M$ we define the growth rate of the tunnel number of $K$ to be $gr_t(K) = \limsup_{n \to \infty} \frac{t(nK) - n t(K)}{n-1}$. As our main result we prove that the Heegaard genus of $M$ is strictly less than the Heegaard genus of the knot exterior if and only if the growth rate is less than 1. In particular this shows that a non-trivial knot in $S^3$ is never asymptotically super additive. The main result gives conditions that imply falsehood of Morimoto's Conjecture.

On critical Heegaard splittings of tunnel number two composite knot exteriors

In this article, we prove that a tunnel number two knot induces a critical Heegaard splitting in its exterior if there are two weak reducing pairs such that each weak reducing pair contains the cocore disk of each tunnel. Moreover, we prove that a connected sum of two 2-bridge knots or more generally that of two $(1,1)$-knots can induce a critical Heegaard splitting in its exterior as the examples of the main theorem. Finally, we give an equivalent condition for a weak reducing pair to be determined by a compressing disk uniquely when the manifold is closed, irreducible and the Heegaard splitt…

On Heegaard splittings of knot exteriors with tunnel number degenerations

Let $K_1, K_2$ be two knots with $t(K_1)+t(K_2)>2$ and $t(K_1 # K_2)=2$. Then, in the present paper, we will show that any genus three Heegaard splittings of $E(K_1 # K_2)$ is strongly irreducible and that $E(K_1 # K_2)$ has at most four genus three Heegaard splittings up to homeomorphism. Moreover, we will give a complete classification of those four genus three Heegaard splittings and show unknotting tunnel systems of knots $K_1 # K_2$ corresponding to those Heegaard splittings.

Levelling an unknotting tunnel

It is a consequence of theorems of Gordon-Reid [Tangle decompositions of tunnel number one knots and links, J. Knot Theory and its Ramifications, 4 (1995) 389-409] and Thompson [Thin position and bridge number for knots in the 3-sphere, Topology, 36 (1997) 505-507] that a tunnel number one knot, if put in thin position, will also be in bridge position. We show that in such a thin presentation, the tunnel can be made level so that it lies in a level sphere. This settles a question raised by Morimoto [A note on unknotting tunnels for 2-bridge knots, Bulletin of Faculty of Engineering Takushoku U…

The Poincare homology sphere, lens space surgeries, and some knots with tunnel number two

We exhibit an infinite family of knots in the Poincare homology sphere with tunnel number 2 that have a lens space surgery. Notably, these knots are not doubly primitive and provide counterexamples to a few conjectures. In the appendix, it is shown that hyperbolic knots in the Poincare homology sphere with a lens space surgery has either no symmetries or just a single strong involution.

On tunnel numbers of a cable knot and its companion

Let $K$ be a nontrivial knot in $S^{3}$ and $t(K)$ its tunnel number. For any $(p\geq 2,q)$-slope in the torus boundary of a closed regular neighborhood of $ K$ in $S^{3}$, denoted by $K^{\star}$, it is a nontrivial cable knot in $S^{3}$. Though $t(K^{\star})\leq t(K)+1$, Example 1.1 in Section 1 shows that in some case, $ t(K^{\star})\leq t(K)$. So it is interesting to know when $t(K^{\star})= t(K)+1$. After using some combinatorial techniques, we prove that (1) for any nontrivial cable knot $K^{\star}$ and its companion $K$, $t(K^{\star})\geq t(K)$; (2) if either $K$ admits a high distance H…

隧道数为一的纽结满足 Berge 猜想

Tunnel number one knots satisfy the Berge Conjecture

本文证明在 $S^3$ 或 $S^2\ imes S^1$ 与透镜空间连通和中，隧道数为一且外部不可约的纽结若可经非平凡 Dehn 手术得到透镜空间，则必为双本原纽结，从而解决相应 Berge 猜想及相关猜想。

On the degeneration of tunnel numbers under connected sum

We show that, for any integer $n\ge 3$, there is a prime knot $k$ such that (1) $k$ is not meridionally primitive, and (2) for every $m$-bridge knot $k'$ with $m\leq n$, the tunnel numbers satisfy $t(k\# k')\le t(k)$. This gives counterexamples to a conjecture of Morimoto and Moriah on tunnel number under connected sum and meridionally primitive knots.

Tunnel-number-one knot exteriors in $S^3$ disjoint from proper power curves

As one of the background papers of the classification project of hyperbolic primitive/Seifert knots in $S^3$ whose complete list is given in [BK20], this paper classifies all possible R-R diagrams of two disjoint simple closed curves $R$ and $β$ lying in the boundary of a genus two handlebody $H$ up to equivalence such that $β$ is a proper power curve and a 2-handle addition $H[R]$ along $R$ embeds in $S^3$ so that $H[R]$ is the exterior of a tunnel-number-one knot. As a consequence, if $R$ is a nonseparating simple closed curve on the boundary of a genus two handlebody such that $H[R]$ embeds…

Hyperbolic tunnel-number-one knots with Seifert-fibered Dehn surgeries

Suppose $α$ and $R$ are disjoint simple closed curves in the boundary of a genus two handlebody $H$ such that $H[R]$ embeds in $S^3$ as the exterior of a hyperbolic knot $k$(thus, $k$ is a tunnel-number-one knot), and $α$ is Seifert in $H$(i.e., a 2-handle addition $H[α]$ is a Seifert-fibered space) and not the meridian of $H[R]$. Then for a slope $γ$ of $k$ represented by $α$, $γ$-Dehn surgery $k(γ)$ is a Seifert-fibered space. Such a construction of Seifert-fibered Dehn surgeries generalizes that of Seifert-fibered Dehn surgeries arising from primtive/Seifert positions of a knot, which was i…

The spectrum of the growth rate of the tunnel number is infinite

In a previous paper Kobayashi and Rieck defined the growth rate of the tunnel number of a knot $K$, a knot invariant that measures the asymptotic behavior of the tunnel number under iterated connected sum of $K$. We denote the growth rate by $\mbox{gr}_t(K)$. In this paper we construct, for any $ε> 0$, a hyperbolic knots $K \subset S^{3}$ for which $1 - ε< \mbox{gr}_t(K) < 1$. This is the first proof that the spectrum of the growth rate of the tunnel number is infinite.

具有隧道数大于1的L空间结

L-space knots with tunnel number >1 by experiment

通过实验确定22个L空间结具有隧道数大于1，并发现其中9个是非对称的，同时展示了这些结作为正辫子闭合的表示。

Semisimple tunnels

A knot in the 3-sphere in genus-1 1-bridge position (called a (1,1)-position) can be described by an element of the braid group of two points in the torus. Our main results tell how to translate between a braid group element and the sequence of slope invariants of the upper and lower tunnels of the (1,1)-position. After using them to verify previous calculations of the slope invariants for all tunnels of 2-bridge knots and (1,1)-tunnels of torus knots, we obtain characterizations of the slope sequences of tunnels of 2-bridge knots, and of a class of tunnels we call toroidal. The main results l…

Montesinos knots, Hopf plumbings, and L-space surgeries

Using Hirasawa-Murasugi's classification of fibered Montesinos knots we classify the L-space Montesinos knots, providing further evidence towards a conjecture of Lidman-Moore that L-space knots have no essential Conway spheres. In the process, we classify the fibered Montesinos knots whose open books support the tight contact structure on $S^3$. We also construct L-space knots with arbitrarily large tunnel number and discuss the question of whether L-space knots admit essential tangle decompositions in the context of satellite operations and tunnel number.

Genus two Heegaard splittings of exteriors of 1-genus 1-bridge knots II

A knot K is called a 1-genus 1-bridge knot in a 3-manifold M if (M,K) has a Heegaard splitting (V_1,t_1)\cup (V_2,t_2) where V_i is a solid torus and t_i is a boundary parallel arc properly embedded in V_i. If the exterior of a knot has a genus 2 Heegaard splitting, we say that the knot has an unknotting tunnel. Naturally the exterior of a 1-genus 1-bridge knot K allows a genus 2 Heegaard splitting, i.e., K has an unknotting tunnel. But, in general, there are unknotting tunnels which are not derived form this procedure. Some of them may be levelled with the torus \partial V_1=\partial V_2, who…

On the tunnel number and the Morse-Novikov number of knots

We prove that the Morse-Novikov number of a link L in a 3-sphere is less than or equal to twice the tunnel number of L.

Tunnel number and bridge number of composite genus 2 spatial graphs

Connected sum and trivalent vertex sum are natural operations on genus 2 spatial graphs and, as with knots, tunnel number behaves in interesting ways under these operations. We prove sharp Scharlemann-Schultens type bounds for the tunnel number of a composite genus 2 spatial graph. For the tunnel number of a composite Brunnian $θ$-curve, our result implies that the tunnel number is at least the number of summands, as in the knot case. We also prove a version of a theorem of Morimoto for knots: the tunnel number of a composite m-small genus 2 spatial graph is at least the sum of the tunnel numb…

Hyperbolic Knots given by Positive Braids with at Least two Full Twists

We give some conditions on positive braids with at least two full twists that ensure their closure is a hyperbolic knot, with applications to the geometric classification of T-links, arising from dynamics, and twisted torus knots.

Knots with g(E(K)) = 2 and g(E(K#K#K)) = 6 and Morimoto's Conjecture

We show that there exist knots K in S^3 with g(E(K))=2 and g(E(K#K#K))=6. Together with Theorem~1.5 of [1], this proves existence of counterexamples to Morimoto's Conjecture (Conjecture 1.5 of [2]). This is a special case of arxiv.org/abs/math.GT/0701765 [1] Tsuyoshi Kobayashi and Yo'av Rieck. On the growth rate of the tunnel number of knots. J. Reine Angew. Math., 592:63--78, 2006. [2] Kanji Morimoto. On the super additivity of tunnel number of knots.Math. Ann., 317(3):489--508, 2000.

Annuli in generalized Heegaard splittings and degeneration of tunnel number

We analyze how a family of essential annuli in a compact 3-manifold will induce, from a strongly irreducible generalized Heegaard splitting of the ambient manifold, generalized Heegaard splittings of the complementary components. There are specific applications to the subadditivity of tunnel number of knots, improving somewhat bounds of Kowng. For example, in the absence of 2-bridge summands, the tunnel number of the sum of n knots is no less than 2/5 the sum of the tunnel numbers.

On the intersection of unknotting tunnels and the decomposing annulus in connected sums

Given $(V_1,V_2)$ a Heegaard splitting of the complement of a composite knot $K=K_1# K_2$ in $S^3$, where $K_i, i=1,2$ are prime knots, we have a unique, up to isotopy, decomposing annulus $A$. When the intersection of $A$ and $V_1$ is a minimal collection of disks we study the components of $V_1-N(A)$ and show that at most one component is a 3-ball meeting $A$ in two disks. This is a crucial step in proving the conjecture that a necessary and sufficient condition for the tunnel number of a connected sum to be less than or equal to the sum of the tunnel numbers is that one of the knots has a H…

Genus two Heegaard splittings of exteriors of 1-genus 1-bridge knots

A knot K in a closed connected orientable 3-manifold M is called a 1-genus 1-bridge knot if (M,K) has a splitting into two pairs of a solid torus V_i (i=1,2) and a boundary parallel arc in it. The splitting induces a genus two Heegaard splitting of the exterior of K naturally, i.e., K has an unknotting tunnel. However the converse is not true in general. Then we study such general case in this paper. One of the conclusions is that the unknotting tunnel may be levelled with the torus \partial V_1=\partial V_2.

Unknotting tunnels and Seifert surfaces

Let $K$ be a knot with an unknotting tunnel $γ$ and suppose that $K$ is not a 2-bridge knot. There is an invariant $ρ= p/q \in \mathbb{Q}/2 \mathbb{Z}$, $p$ odd, defined for the pair $(K, γ)$. The invariant $ρ$ has interesting geometric properties: It is often straightforward to calculate; e. g. for $K$ a torus knot and $γ$ an annulus-spanning arc, $ρ(K, γ) = 1$. Although $ρ$ is defined abstractly, it is naturally revealed when $K \cup γ$ is put in thin position. If $ρ\neq 1$ then there is a minimal genus Seifert surface $F$ for $K$ such that the tunnel $γ$ can be slid and isotoped to lie on $…

Additive invariants for knots, links and graphs in 3-manifolds

We define two new families of invariants for (3-manifold, graph) pairs which detect the unknot and are additive under connected sum of pairs and (-1/2)-additive under trivalent vertex sum of pairs. The first of these families is closely related to both bridge number and tunnel number. The second of these families is a variation and generalization of Gabai's width for knots in the 3-sphere. We give applications to the tunnel number and higher genus bridge number of connected sums of knots.

Minimal Flat Knotted Ribbons

This paper gives mathematical models for flat knotted ribbons, and makes specific conjectures for the least length of ribbon (for a given width) needed to tie the trefoil knot and the figure eight knot. The first conjecture states that (for width one) the least length of ribbon needed to tie an open-ended trefoil knot is L = 4(F + 1)/Sqrt[2 + F] where F = (1 + Sqrt[5])/2 is the golden ratio. The second conjecture states that the least length of the figure eight knot (in the same sense) is 32/Sqrt[15].

Knot exteriors with additive Heegaard genus and Morimoto's Conjecture

Given integers g_i > 1 (i=1,...,n) we prove that there exist infinitely may knots K_i in S^3 so that g(E(K_i)) = g_i and the Heegaard genus of the exterior of the connected sum of K_1,...,K_n is the sum the Heegaard genera of K_1,...,K_n, that is: g(E(K_1#...#K_n)) = g(E(K_1)) +...+ g(E(K_n)). (Here, E() denotes the exterior and g() the Heegaard genus.) Together with Theorem 1.5 of [1], this proves the existence of counterexamples to Morimoto's Conjecture (Conjecture 1.5 of [2]). [1] Tsuyoshi Kobayashi and Yo'av Rieck. On the growth rate of the tunnel number of knots. J. Reine Angew. Math., 59…

A note on the four-dimensional clasp number of knots

Among the knots that are the connected sum of two torus knots with cobordism distance 1, we characterize those that have 4-dimensional clasp number at least 2, and we show that their n-fold connected self-sum has 4-dimensional clasp number at least 2n. Our proof works in the topological category. To contrast this, we build a family of topologically slice knots for which the n-fold connected self-sum has 4-ball genus n and 4-dimensional clasp number at least 2n.

Planar and spherical stick indices of knots

The stick index of a knot is the least number of line segments required to build the knot in space. We define two analogous 2-dimensional invariants, the planar stick index, which is the least number of line segments in the plane to build a projection, and the spherical stick index, which is the least number of great circle arcs to build a projection on the sphere. We find bounds on these quantities in terms of other knot invariants, and give planar stick and spherical stick constructions for torus knots and for compositions of trefoils. In particular, unlike most knot invariants,we show that …

Crosscap number two knots in $S^3$ with (1,1) decompositions

M. Scharlemann has recently proved that any genus one tunnel number one knot is either a satellite or 2-bridge knot, as conjectured by H. Goda and M. Teragaito; all such knots admit a (1,1) decomposition. In this paper we give a classification of the family of (1,1) knots in $S^3$ with crosscap number two (i.e., bounding an essential once-punctured Klein bottle).

Bridge Number and the Curve Complex

We show that there are hyperbolic tunnel-number one knots with arbitrarily high bridge number and that "most" tunnel-number one knots are not one-bridge with respect to an unknotted torus. The proof relies on a connection between bridge number and a certain distance in the curve complex of a genus-two surface.

Bridge spectra of twisted torus knots

We compute the genus zero bridge numbers and give lower bounds on the genus one bridge numbers for a large class of sufficiently generic hyperbolic twisted torus knots. As a result, the bridge spectra of these knots have two gaps which can be chosen to be arbitrarily large, providing the first known examples of hyperbolic knots exhibiting this property. In addition, we show that there are Berge and Dean knots with arbitrarily large genus one bridge numbers, and as a result, we give solutions to problems of Eudave-Muñoz concerning tunnel number one knots.