Generalization of Braids and Homologies

In this paper, we give a survey of recent results devoted to the homology of generalizations of braids: the homological properties of virtual braids and the generalized homology of Artin groups studied by C. Broto and the author. Virtual braid groups VB _n correspond to virtual knots in the same way that classical braids correspond to usual knots. Virtual knots arise in the study of Gauss diagrams and Vassiliev invariants of usual knots. The Burau representation to GL _n ℤ[t, t ⁻¹] is extended from classical braids to virtual ones. Its homological properties are also studied. The following splitting of infinite loop spaces for the plus-construction of the classifying space of the virtual braid group on an infinite number of strings exists:

Hyperbolic 3-manifolds as cyclic branched coverings

There is an extensive literature on the characterization of knots in the 3-sphere which have the same 3-manifold as a common n-fold cyclic branched covering, for some integer . In the present paper, we study the following more general situation. Given two integers m and n, how are knots K ₁ and K ₂ related such that the m-fold cyclic branched covering of K ₁ coincides with the n-fold cyclic branched covering of K ₂. Or, seen from the point of view of 3-manifolds: in how many different ways can a given 3-manifold occur as a cyclic branched covering of knots in S ³. Under certain hypotheses, we solve this problem for the basic class of hyperbolic 3-manifolds and hyperbolic knots (the other basic class is that of Seifert fiber spaces resp. of torus and Montesinos knots for which the situation is well understood; the general case can then be analyzed using the equivariant sphere and torus decomposition into Seifert fiber spaces and hyperbolic manifolds). Received: December 7, 1999; revised version: May 22, 2000     

Destabilizing Heegaard splittings of knot exteriors

We give a necessary and sufficient condition for Heegaard splittings of knot exteriors to admit destabilizations. As an application, we show the following: let K₁ and K₂ be a pair of knots which is introduced by Morimoto as an example giving degeneration of tunnel number under connected sum. The Heegaard splitting of the exterior of K₁#K₂ derived from certain minimal unknotting tunnel systems of K₁ and K₂ is stabilized.     

On \pi-hyperbolic knots with the same 2-fold branched coverings

We consider the following problem from the Kirby's list (Problem 3.25): Let K be a knot in and M(K) its 2-fold branched covering space. Describe the equivalence class [K] of K in the set of knots under the equivalence relation if is homeomorphic to . It is known that there exist arbitrarily many different hyperbolic knots with the same 2-fold branched coverings, due to mutation along Conway spheres. Thus the most basic class of knots to investigate are knots which do not admit Conway spheres. In this paper we solve the above problem for knots which do not admit Conway spheres, in the following sense: we give upper bounds for the number of knots in the equivalence class [K] of a knot K and we describe how the different knots in the equivalence class of K are related. Received: 3 August 1998 / in final form: 17 June 1999     

Explicit formulas for Vasil'ev invariants of the fourth order for knots

In this work, the integer-valued basic Vasil'ev invariants of the fourth order for the oriented knots V ₄ ¹ (K) and V ₄ ² (K) are presented. The explicit diagram-arrow formulas with rational coefficients defined according to the Gaussian diagram of a knot are obtained for them. Translated from Sovremennaya Matematika i Ee Prilozheniya (Contemporary Mathematics and Its Applications), Vol. 53, Suzdal Conference-2006, Part 1, 2008.     

On a behavior of a slice of the -character variety of a knot group under the connected sum

We observe a behavior of a slice (an algebraic subset) S₀(K) of the -character variety of a knot group under the connected sum of knots. It turns out that the number of 0-dimensional components of S₀(K) is additive under the connected sum of knots.     

On hyperbolic virtual polytopes and hyperbolic fans

Hyperbolic virtual polytopes arose originally as polytopal versions of counterexamples to the following A.D.Alexandrov’s uniqueness conjecture: Let K ⊂ ℝ³ be a smooth convex body. If for a constant C, at every point of ∂K, we have R ₁ ≤ C ≤ R ₂ then K is a ball. (R ₁ and R ₂ stand for the principal curvature radii of ∂K.) This paper gives a new (in comparison with the previous construction by Y.Martinez-Maure and by G.Panina) series of counterexamples to the conjecture. In particular, a hyperbolic virtual polytope (and therefore, a hyperbolic hérisson) with odd an number of horns is constructed. Moreover, various properties of hyperbolic virtual polytopes and their fans are discussed.     

Primary decomposition and the fractal nature of knot concordance

For each sequence P=(p₁(t),p₂(t),...){\mathcal{P}=(p_1(t),p_2(t),\dots)} of polynomials we define a characteristic series of groups, called the derived series localized at P{\mathcal{P}}. These group series yield filtrations of the knot concordance group that refine the (n)-solvable filtration. We show that the quotients of successive terms of these refined filtrations have infinite rank. The new filtrations allow us to distinguish between knots whose classical Alexander polynomials are coprime and even to distinguish between knots with coprime higher-order Alexander polynomials. This provides evidence of higher-order analogues of the classical p(t)-primary decomposition of the algebraic concordance group. We use these techniques to give evidence that the set of smooth concordance classes of knots is a fractal set.     

Application of computer algebra to Jones polynomials

In this paper we apply computer algebra (Maple) techniques to calculate Jones polynomial of graphs of K(2,q)-Torus knots. For this purpose, a computer program was developed. When a positive integer q is given, the program calculate Jones polynomial of graph of K(2,q)-Torus knots.     

Complete multipartite decompositions of complete graphs and complete <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-partite graphs

In this paper, a new concept of an optimal complete multipartite decomposition of type 1 (type 2) of a complete n-partite graph Q _n is proposed and another new concept of a normal complete multipartite decomposition of K _n is introduced. It is showed that an optimal complete multipartite decomposition of type 1 of K _n is a normal complete multipartite decomposition. As for any complete multipartite decomposition of K _n , there is a derived complete multipartite decomposition for Q _n . It is also showed that any optimal complete multipartite decomposition of type 1 of Q _n is a derived decomposition of an optimal complete multipartite decomposition of type 1 of K _n . Besides, some structural properties of an optimal complete multipartite decomposition of type 1 of K _n are given. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10271110).     

For a fixed Turaev shadow Jones-Vassiliev invariants depend polynomially on the gleams

We use Turaev's technique of shadows and gleams to parametrize the set of all knots in S ³ with the same Hopf projection. We show that the Vassiliev invariants arising from the Jones polynomial J _t (K) are polynomials in the gleams, i.e., for , the n-th order Vassiliev invariant u _n , defined by , is a polynomial of degree 2n in the gleams. Received: April 30, 1996     

On diagrammatic bounds of knot volumes and spectral invariants

In recent years, several families of hyperbolic knots have been shown to have both volume and λ₁ (first eigenvalue of the Laplacian) bounded in terms of the twist number of a diagram, while other families of knots have volume bounded by a generalized twist number. We show that for general knots, neither the twist number nor the generalized twist number of a diagram can provide two-sided bounds on either the volume or λ₁. We do so by studying the geometry of a family of hyperbolic knots that we call double coil knots, and finding two-sided bounds in terms of the knot diagrams on both the volume and on λ₁. We also extend a result of Lackenby to show that a collection of double coil knot complements forms an expanding family iff their volume is bounded.     

On the relationship between functions with the same optimal knots in spline and piecewise polynomial approximation

The relationship between functions with the same optimal knots for L₂[0, 1] approximation by kth order splines or piecewise polynomials is investigated. It is shown that if two functions have positive continuous kth derivatives they will have the same optimal knots if and only if they differ by a polynomial of order k. An application to design selection for continuous time regression is considered and extensions to L_p approximation are also provided.     

The Canonical Genus of a Classical and Virtual Knot

A diagram D of a knot defines the corresponding Gauss Diagram G _D . However, not all Gauss diagrams correspond to the ordinary knot diagrams. From a Gauss diagram G we construct closed surfaces F _G and S _G in two different ways, and we show that if the Gauss diagram corresponds to an ordinary knot diagram D, then their genus is the genus of the canonical Seifert surface associated to D. Using these constructions we introduce the virtual canonical genus invariant of a virtual knot and find estimates on the number of alternating knots of given genus and given crossing number.     

A note on tunnel number of composite knots

Let K be a knot in a sphere S³. We denote by t(K) the tunnel number of K. For two knots K₁ and K₂, we denote by K₁?K₂ the connected sum of K₁ and K₂. In this paper, we will prove that if one of K₁ and K₂ has high distance while the other has distance at least 3 then t(K₁?K₂)=t(K₁)+t(K₂)+1.     

A counterexample in the theory of best approximation

We give an example of a domain Ω with smooth boundary and with compact subsets K₁ and K₂, such that K₁ and K₂ have disjoint hulls, but such that there is no function u, harmonic on Ω, which is negative on K₁ and positive on K₂.     

Sections and projections of homothetic convex bodies

For a pair of convex bodies K₁ and K₂ in Euclidean space , n ≥ 3, possibly unbounded, we show that K₁ is a translate of K₂ if either of the following conditions holds: (i) the orthogonal projections of K₁ on 2-dimensional planes are translates of the respective orthogonal projections of K₂, (ii) there are points p₁ ∈K₁ and p₂ ∈K₂ such that for every pair of parallel 2-dimensional planesL₁and L₂ through p₁ and p₂, respectively, the section K₁ ∩ L₁is a translate of K₂ ∩ L₂.     

On the Aleksandrov-Fenchel inequality involving zonoids

The equality case in the general quadratic inequality V(K, L, K ₁, ..., K _n–2)² V(K, K, K ₁, ..., K _n–2) V(L, L, K ₁, ..., K _n–2) for mixed volumes is settled under the assumption that K and L are centrally symmetric and K ₁, ..., K _n–2 are zonoids. This result partly confirms a conjecture on the general case made in an earlier paper.     

Numerical cubature formulae with preassigned knots

Summary In this paper we give using the orthogonal polynomial theory, conditions ensuring the existence of cubature formulae with weight function on compact subsetsK in ² which have some given knots. The formulae are exact on the space of polynomials of two variablesx ₁ ,x ₂ with a degree not greater thanm _i +k _i ,i=1, 2.     

OPEN ACCESS AND EXTINCTION OF THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN NORTH AMERICA

ABSTRACT. An open access model is formulated where X is a renewable resource and E is the level of effort devoted to harvest. Net growth is assumed to exhibit critical depensation and the open access system is described by two nonlinear differential equations where r > 0 is the intrinsic growth rate, K1 is the minimum viable population level, K₂ is the environmental carrying capacity, K₂ > K₁ > 0, q > 0 is the catchability coefficient, ? > 0 is an adjustment coefficient, (p – s) > 0 is the market price net of shipping cost, and c > 0 is the unit cost of effort at the harvest site. It is shown that the E= 0 isocline is a vertical line at X∞=c/[(p‐ s)q] and that the open access system passes through a supercritical Hopf bifurcation as X∞ moves from a level above (K₁+K₂)/2 to a level below (K₁+K₂)/2. For X∞ above (K₁+K₂)/2 the open access equilibrium is locally stable. For X∞ below (K₁+K₂)/2 the open access equilibrium will be locally unstable. At X∞=(K₁+K₂)/2 the system has a stable limit cycle. This analysis is useful in interpreting the economic history of the passenger pigeon. The limited empirical evidence would suggest that X∞=c/[(p – s)q] declined below (K₁+K₂)/2 during the last half of the 19th century as a result of improved rail transport and communications (the telegraph). It is thought that the passenger pigeon was extinct in the wild by 1901. The last passenger pigeon died in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoological Gardens on September 1, 1914. X=rX(X/ K₁– 1)(1 –X/K₂)–qXE and E=α[(p – s)qXE – cE],