Finite type invariants of cyclic branched covers

Given a knot in an integer homology sphere, one can construct a family of closed 3-manifolds (parameterized by the positive integers), namely the cyclic branched coverings of the knot. In this paper, we give a formula for the Casson-Walker invariants of these 3-manifolds in terms of residues of a rational function (which measures the 2-loop part of the Kontsevich integral of a knot) and the signature function of the knot. Our main result actually computes the LMO invariant of cyclic branched covers in terms of a rational invariant of the knot and its signature function.     

On the knot complement problem for non-hyperbolic knots

This paper explicitly provides two exhaustive and infinite families of pairs (M,k), where M is a lens space and k is a non-hyperbolic knot in M, which produces a manifold homeomorphic to M, by a non-trivial Dehn surgery. Then, we observe the uniqueness of such knot in such lens space, the uniqueness of the slope, and that there is no preserving homeomorphism between the initial and the final M's. We obtain further that Seifert fibered knots, except for the axes, and satellite knots are determined by their complements in lens spaces. An easy application shows that non-hyperbolic knots are determined by their complement in atoroidal and irreducible Seifert fibered 3-manifolds.     

The homology of cyclic branched covers ofS 3

Partially supported by NSF grant DMS-9208052 and the MSRI NSF grant DMS-9022140. The author held an MSRI Research Professorship while the paper was being written     

The π1 of self-maps of nonzero degree on 3-manifolds

Supported by NSFC and AvH     

On some classes of hyperbolic knots with the 3-sphere surgery

For the distance of (1,1)-splittings of a knot in a closed orientable 3-manifold, it is an important problem whether a (1,1)-knot can admit (1,1)-splittings of different distances. In this paper, we give one-parameter families of hyperbolic (1,1)-knots such that each (1,1)-knot admits a Dehn surgery yielding the 3-sphere. It is remarkable that such knots are the first concrete examples each of whose (1,1)-splittings is of distance three.     

Topological properties of ordinary nematics in 3-space

This paper describes the topologically possible global defect behavior of ordinary nematics in 3-space. It is written for physicists interested in defects of ordered media as well as for topologists, but instead of using an intermediate way of presentation, which might appeal to no one, we first state the result for physicists and then, discussing the proof, turn to mathematicians and physicists who are inclined to read a mathematical paper.     

3-manifolds which are orbit spaces of diffeomorphisms

In a very general setting, we show that a 3-manifold obtained as the orbit space of the basin of a topological attractor is either S²×S¹ or irreducible.We then study in more detail the topology of a class of 3-manifolds which are also orbit spaces and arise as invariants of gradient-like diffeomorphisms (in dimension 3). Up to a finite number of exceptions, which we explicitly describe, all these manifolds are Haken and, by changing the diffeomorphism by a finite power, all the Seifert components of the Jaco-Shalen-Johannson decomposition of these manifolds are made into product circle bundles.     

Surgery on 3-manifolds with \mathbb{S} 1-actions

We study the topological structure of all 3-manifolds obtained by surgery along principal fibers of a closed orientable -manifold. As a consequence, we give alternative proofs of some classical results due to W. Heil and L. Moser. Moreover, we completely specify the Seifert invariants for the considered manifolds. Finally we classify the manifolds obtained by surgery along certain Seifert links and determine geometric presentations of their fundamental groups.Work performed under the auspices of C.N.R. (National Research Council) of Italy and partially supported by Ministero della Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica within the projects Geometria Reale e Complessa and Topologia.     

Note on the Casson-Gordon invariant of a satellite knot

In this paper we establish a relation between an appropriate version of the Casson-Gordon invariant of a satellite knot and those of its orbit and companion. We note that in some cases the contribution from, the companion falls. This gives a way to construct algebraically but not smoothly slice knots. This article was processed by the author using theLaT_EX style filecljouri from Springer-Verlag.     

Classification of knot projections

The first step in tabulating the non-composite knots with n crossings is the tabulation of the non-singular plane projections of such knots, where two (piecewise linear) projections are regarded as equivalent, or in the same class, if they agree up to homeomorphism of the extended plane, i.e. two-sphere. This first step is here reduced to a simple algorithm suitable for computer use.     

Classifying foliations of 3-manifolds via branched surfaces

We use branched surfaces to define an equivalence relation on C¹ codimension one foliations of any closed orientable 3-manifold that are transverse to some fixed nonsingular flow. There is a discrete metric on the set of equivalence classes with the property that foliations that are sufficiently close (up to equivalence) share important topological properties.     

Existence of least area planes in hyperbolic 3-space with co-compact metric

Let r be a metric on the hyperbolic 3-space induced from an arbitrary Riemannian metric on a closed hyperbolic 3-manifold. In this paper, we will show that any smooth simple loop in S_∞² spans a properly embedded r-least area plane in . This solves Gabai's conjecture ((J. Amer. Math. Soc. 10 (1997) 37), Conjecture 3.12), affirmatively.     

Small covers over prisms

In this paper we calculate the number of equivariant diffeomorphism classes of small covers over a prism.     

A distance for diagrams of a knot

We introduce a distance for diagrams of an oriented knot by using Reidemeister moves linking the diagrams and we give evaluations of the distance. Furthermore, we apply the distance to construct a knot invariant.     

Epimorphisms of knot groups onto free products

Let k be a knot in S³. There is an epimorphism from π₁(S³−k) onto a free product of two nontrivial cyclic groups sending a meridian to an element of length two iff k has property Q (Topology of Manifolds, Markham, Chicago, IL, 1970, pp. 195-199) that is if there is a closed surface F in S³ containing k, such that k is imprimitive in H₁(X) and in H₁(Y) where X and Y are the closures of the components of S³−F. We give answers to questions of Simon (1970) about properties Q, Q∗ and Q∗∗. Epimorphisms from knot groups onto torus knot groups are also studied and some results on property P and surgery are included.     

Toroidal and Klein bottle boundary slopes

Let M be a compact, connected, orientable, irreducible 3-manifold and T₀ an incompressible torus boundary component of M such that the pair (M,T₀) is not cabled. By a result of C. Gordon, if (S,∂S),(T,∂T)⊂(M,T₀) are incompressible punctured tori with boundary slopes at distance Δ=Δ(∂S,∂T), then Δ?8, and the cases where Δ=6,7,8 are very few and classified. We give a simplified proof of this result (or rather, of its reduction process), using an improved estimate for the maximum possible number of mutually parallel negative edges in the graphs of intersection of S and T. We also extend Gordon's result by allowing either S or T to be an essential Klein bottle.     

The hexatangle

We are interested in knowing what type of manifolds are obtained by doing Dehn surgery on closed pure 3-braids in S³. In particular, we want to determine when we get S³ by surgery on such a link. We consider links which are small closed pure 3-braids; these are the closure of 3-braids of the form , where σ₁, σ₂ are the generators of the 3-braid group and e₁, f₁, e are integers. We study Dehn surgeries on these links, and determine exactly which ones admit an integral surgery producing the 3-sphere. This is equivalent to determining the surgeries of some type on a certain six component link L that produce S³. The link L is strongly invertible and its exterior double branch covers a certain configuration of arcs and spheres, which we call the hexatangle. Our problem is equivalent to determine which fillings of the spheres by integral tangles produce the trivial knot, which is what we explicitly solve. This hexatangle is a generalization of the pentangle, which is studied in [C.McA. Gordon, J. Luecke, Non-integral toroidal Dehn surgeries, Comm. Anal. Geom. 12 (2004) 417-485].     

The homology of irregular dihedral branched covers ofS 3

Partially supported by NSF grant DMS-9208052 and the MSRI NSF grant DMS-9022140. The author held an MSRI Research Professorship while the paper was being written     

Random Walks And The Colored Jones Function

It can be conjectured that the colored Jones function of a knot can be computed in terms of counting paths on the graph of a planar projection of a knot. On the combinatorial level, the colored Jones function can be replaced by its weight system. We give two curious formulas for the weight system of a colored Jones function: one in terms of the permanent of a matrix associated to a chord diagram, and another in terms of counting paths of intersecting chords. Electronic supplementary material to this article is available at and is accessible to authorized users. * S. G. was partially supported by an NSF and by an Israel-US BSF grant. † M. L. was partly supported by GAUK 158 grant and by the Project LN00A056 of the Czech Ministry of Education.