Intersection Alexander polynomials. (Q1420503): Difference between revisions

In this extensive paper the author continues to investigate polynomial invariants of knots that need not be locally-flat, the subject he started in his PhD Thesis. Here he generalizes the classical Alexander polynomial invariants for smooth or PL locally-flat knots. This is realized by means of the intersection homology of \textit{M. Goresky} and \textit{R. MacPherson} [Topology 19, 135--165 (1980; Zbl 0448.55004) and Invent Math. 72, 77--129 (1983; Zbl 0529.55007)] and the \textit{S. E. Cappell} and \textit{J. L. Shaneson} [Ann. Math. 134, 325--374 (1991; Zbl 0759.55002)] adaptation of intersection to stratified manifolds with embedded pseudomanifolds as the singular loci. A knot \(K\) is given by a PL-sphere pair \(S^{n-2}\subset S^n\). \(S^n\) is interpreted as a stratified manifold with singular locus \(K\cong S^{n-2}\). Denote by \(\ell_K(\alpha)\) the linking number of \(\alpha\in \pi_1(S^n - K)\) with the knot \(K\). For a given local coefficient system \(\overline\Gamma\) defined on \(S^n - K\) with stalks \(\Gamma=\mathbb{Q}[\mathbb{Z}]=\mathbb{Q}[t,t^{-1}]\) and action of \(\pi_1(S^n-K)\) on \(\Gamma\) given by multiplication by \(t^{\ell_K (\alpha)}\), one can follow the references quoted and define the intersection homology groups \(IH_i^{\overline{p}}(S^n, \overline\Gamma)\). After that one considers their associated polynomials \(I\lambda_i^{\overline{p}}(t)\) which are called the intersection Alexander polynomials. If \(K\) is a locally flat PL-knot, then \(I\lambda_i^{\overline{p}}(t)\) reduces to ``ordinary'' Alexander polynomials (Thm. 7.1). Furthermore, the \(I\lambda_i^{\overline{p}}(t)\) posses more properties analogous to those of traditional Alexander polynomials. They posses the duality property (Theorem 5.1): Let \(\overline{p}\) and \(\overline{q}\) be a superdual perversity and superperversity, i.e., \(\overline{p} + \overline{q} = k - 1\) for all \(k\geq 2\), then \(I\lambda_i^{\overline{p}}(t)\sim I\lambda_{n-1-i}^{\overline{q}}(t^{-1})\), where \(\sim\) denotes similarity in \(\Gamma\). A normalization condition on \(I\lambda_i^{\overline{p}}(t)\) is also obtained. \(I\lambda_i^{\overline{p}}(t)\) is calculated in case of a knot \(K\) embedded with a single point singularity, etc.