Grope cobordism of classical knots

Motivated by the lower central series of a group, we define the notion of a grope cobordism between two knots in a 3-manifold. Just like an iterated group commutator, each grope cobordism has a type that can be described by a rooted unitrivalent tree. By filtering these trees in different ways, we show how the Goussarov-Habiro approach to finite type invariants of knots is closely related to our notion of grope cobordism. Thus our results can be viewed as a geometric interpretation of finite type invariants.The derived commutator series of a group also has a three-dimensional analogy, namely knots modulo symmetric grope cobordism. On one hand this theory maps onto the usual Vassiliev theory and on the other hand it maps onto the Cochran-Orr-Teichner filtration of the knot concordance group, via symmetric grope cobordism in 4-space. In particular, the graded theory contains information on finite type invariants (with degree h terms mapping to Vassiliev degree 2^h), Blanchfield forms or S-equivalence at h=2, Casson-Gordon invariants at h=3, and for h=4 one finds the new von Neumann signatures of a knot.     

The Alexander polynomial and finite type 3-manifold invariants

Using elementary counting methods, we calculate a universal perturbative invariant (also known as the LMO invariant) of a 3-manifold M, satisfying , in terms of the Alexander polynomial of M. We show that +1 surgery on a knot in the 3-sphere induces an injective map from finite type invariants of integral homology 3-spheres to finite type invariants of knots. We also show that weight systems of degree 2m on knots, obtained by applying finite type 3m invariants of integral homology 3-spheres, lie in the algebra of Alexander-Conway weight systems, thus answering the questions raised in [Ga]. Received: 27 April 1998 / in final form: 8 August 1999     

Notes on homology cobordisms of plumbed homology 3-spheres

The gauge-theoretical invariants of Donaldson and Seiberg-Witten are used to detect some infinite order elements in the homology cobordism group of integral homology 3-spheres.

     

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.     

Cobordism of algebraic knots

Summary The isolated singularities of complex hypersurfaces are studied by considering the topology of the highly connected submanifolds of spheres determined by the singularity. By introducing the notion of the link of a perturbation of the singularity and using techniques of surgery theory, we are able to describe which invariants associated to a singularity can be used to determine the cobordism type of the singularity.It is shown that the cobordism type is determined by the set of weakly distinguished bases. This result is used to draw a distinction between the classical case of two variables and the higher dimensional problem. That is, we show that the result of Le which states that the cobordism and topological classifications of singularities coincide in the classical dimension does not hold for singularities of functions of more than three variables. Examples of topologically distinct but cobordant singularities are obtained using results of Ebeling.     

Cobordism of disk knots

We study cobordisms and cobordisms rel boundary of PL locally-flat disk knots D ⁿ⁻² ↪ D ⁿ . Any two disk knots are cobordant if the cobordisms are not required to fix the boundary sphere knots, and any two even-dimensional disk knots with isotopic boundary knots are cobordant rel boundary. However, the cobordism rel boundary theory of odd-dimensional disk knots is more subtle. Generalizing results of J. Levine on the cobordism of sphere knots, we define disk knot Seifert matrices and show that two higher-dimensional disk knots with isotopic boundaries are cobordant rel boundary if and only if their disk knot Seifert matrices are algebraically cobordant. We also ask which algebraic cobordism classes can be realized given a fixed boundary knot and provide a complete classification when the boundary knot has no 2-torsion in its middle-dimensional Alexander module. In the course of this classification, we establish a close connection between the Blanchfield pairing of a disk knot and the Farber-Levine torsion pairing of its boundary knot (in fact, for disk knots satisfying certain connectivity assumptions, the disk knot Blanchfield pairing will determine the boundary Farber-Levine pairing). In addition, we study the dependence of disk knot Seifert matrices on choices of Seifert surface, demonstrating that all such Seifert matrices are rationally S-equivalent, but not necessarily integrally S-equivalent.     

The rack space

The main result of this paper is a new classification theorem for links (smooth embeddings in codimension 2). The classifying space is the rack space and the classifying bundle is the first James bundle.

We investigate the algebraic topology of this classifying space and report on calculations given elsewhere. Apart from defining many new knot and link invariants (including generalised James-Hopf invariants), the classification theorem has some unexpected applications. We give a combinatorial interpretation for of a complex which can be used for calculations and some new interpretations of the higher homotopy groups of the 3-sphere. We also give a cobordism classification of virtual links.

     

Isotopy invariants for smooth tori in 4-manifolds

In this paper we define invariants under smooth isotopy for certain two-dimensional knots using some refined Cerf theory. One of the invariants is the knot type of some classical knot generalizing the string number of closed braids. The other invariant is a generalization of the unique invariant of degree 1 for classical knots in 3-manifolds. Possibly, these invariants can be used to distinguish smooth embeddings of tori in some 4-manifolds but which are equivalent as topological embeddings.     

Knot theory and the Casson invariant in Artin presentation theory

In Artin presentation theory, a smooth, compact four-manifold is determined by a certain type of presentation of the fundamental group of its boundary. Topological invariants of both three-and four-manifolds can be calculated solely in terms of functions of the discrete Artin presentation. González-Acuña proposed such a formula for the Rokhlin invariant of an integral homology three-sphere. This paper provides a formula for the Casson invariant of rational homology spheres. Thus, all 3D Seiberg-Witten invariants can be calculated by using methods of the theory of groups in Artin presentation theory. The Casson invariant is closely related to canonical knots determined by an Artin presentation. It is also shown that any knot in any three-manifold appears as a canonical knot in Artin presentation theory. An open problem is to determine 4D Seiberg-Witten and Donaldson invariants in Artin presentation theory.     

Classification of homotopy Wall's manifolds

Complete PL and topological classification and partial smooth classification of manifolds homotopy equivalent to a Wall's manifold (defined as a mapping torus of a Dold manifold), introduced by Wall in his 1960 Annals paper on cobordism, have been done by determining: (1) the normal invariants of Wall's manifolds, (2) the surgery obstruction of a normal invariant and (3) the action of the Wall surgery obstruction groups on the smooth, PL and homeomorphism classes of homotopy Wall's manifolds (to be made precise in the body of the paper). Consequently classification results of automorphisms (self homeomorphisms, and self PL-homeomorphisms) of Dold manifolds follow.     

Cobordism of knots on surfaces

We introduce a relation of cobordism for knots in thickenedsurfaces and study cobordism invariants of such knots. Received May 14, 2007.     

The Kontsevich Integral

The paper contains a detailed exposition of the construction and properties of the Kontsevich integral invariant, crucial in the study of Vassiliev knot invariants.     

Knot theory for self-indexed graphs

We introduce and study so-called self-indexed graphs. These are (oriented) finite graphs endowed with a map from the set of edges to the set of vertices. Such graphs naturally arise from classical knot and link diagrams. In fact, the graphs resulting from link diagrams have an additional structure, an integral flow. We call a self-indexed graph with integral flow a comte. The analogy with links allows us to define transformations of comtes generalizing the Reidemeister moves on link diagrams. We show that many invariants of links can be generalized to comtes, most notably the linking number, the Alexander polynomials, the link group, etc. We also discuss finite type invariants and quandle cocycle invariants of comtes.

     

Admissible transverse surgery does not preserve tightness

We produce the first examples of closed, tight contact 3-manifolds which become overtwisted after performing admissible transverse surgeries. Along the way, we clarify the relationship between admissible transverse surgery and Legendrian surgery. We use this clarification to study a new invariant of transverse knots—namely, the range of slopes on which admissible transverse surgery preserves tightness—and to provide some new examples of knot types which are not uniformly thick. Our examples also illuminate several interesting new phenomena, including the existence of hyperbolic, universally tight contact 3-manifolds whose Heegaard Floer contact invariants vanish (and which are not weakly fillable); and the existence of open books with arbitrarily high fractional Dehn twist coefficients whose compatible contact structures are not deformations of co-orientable taut foliations.     

Topological strings,quiver varieties,and Rogers–Ramanujan identities

The Ramanujan Journal - Motivated by some recent works on BPS invariants of open strings/knot invariants, we guess there may be a general correspondence between the Ooguri–Vafa invariants of...     

Eta Invariant and Conformal Cobordism

In this note we study the problem of conformally flat structures bounding conformally flat structures and show that the eta invariants give obstructions. These lead us to the definition of an Abelian group, the conformal cobordism group, which classifies the conformally flat structures according to whether they bound conformally flat structures in a conformally invariant way. The eta invariant gives rise to a homomorphism from this group to the circle group, which can be highly nontrivial. It remains an interesting question of how to compute this group.     

Duality properties of indicatrices of knots

The bridge index and superbridge index of a knot are important invariants in knot theory. We define the bridge map of a knot conformation, which is closely related to these two invariants, and interpret it in terms of the tangent indicatrix of the knot conformation. Using the concepts of dual and derivative curves of spherical curves as introduced by Arnold, we show that the graph of the bridge map is the union of the binormal indicatrix, its antipodal curve, and some number of great circles. Similarly, we define the inflection map of a knot conformation, interpret it in terms of the binormal indicatrix, and express its graph in terms of the tangent indicatrix. This duality relationship is also studied for another dual pair of curves, the normal and Darboux indicatrices of a knot conformation. The analogous concepts are defined and results are derived for stick knots.     

Vanishing of a certain kind of Vassiliev invariants of 2-knots

In knot theory, Vassiliev's 1-knot invariants are defined in a combinatorial way as finite type invariants. By a natural generalization of the combinatorial definition, one has a certain family of 2-knot invariants, which should be called finite type 2-knot invariants. They form a subspace of the whole space of ``Vassiliev 2-knot invariants'. In this paper we prove that it is 1-dimensional.

     

Essentially normal Hilbert modules and <Emphasis Type="Italic">K</Emphasis>-homology

This paper mainly concerns the essential normality of graded submodules. Essentially all of the basic Hilbert modules that have received attention over the years are p-essentially normal—including the d-shift Hilbert module, the Hardy and Bergman modules of the unit ball. Arveson conjectured graded submodules over the unit ball inherit this property and provided motivations to seek an affirmative answer. Some positive results have been obtained by Arveson and Douglas. However, the problem has been resistant. In dimensions d = 2, 3, this paper shows that the Arveson’s conjecture is true. In any dimension, the paper also gives an affirmative answer in the case of the graded principal submodule. Finally, the paper is associated with K-homology invariants arising from graded quotient modules, by which geometry of the quotient modules and geometry of algebraic varieties are connected. In dimensions d = 2, 3, it is shown that K-homology invariants determined by graded quotients are nontrivial. The paper also establishes results on p-smoothness of K-homology elements, and gives an explicit expression for K-homology invariant in dimension d = 2.