Crosscap numbers of 2-bridge knots (Q2488868)

Let \(K\) be a knot in the 3-sphere. We denote by \(\gamma(K)\) the minimal number of the first Betti numbers of all non-orientable spanning surfaces for \(K\). We call it the crosscap number. In this paper, the authors present a practical algorithm to determine \(\gamma(K)\) for 2-bridge knots. Suppose \(K\) is a 2-bridge knot \(S(q,p)\) in Schubert's notation. Here, \(q\) and \(p\) are coprime integers, and \(q\) is odd. Consider a subtractive continued fraction expansion of \(p/q\) : \[ \frac{p}{q} =r+[b_1,b_2,\ldots, b_n] =r+\frac{1}{b_1-\frac{1}{b_2-\frac{1}{\cdots-\frac{:}{-\frac{1}{b_n}}}}}, \] where \(r,\,b_i\in\mathbb Z\) and \(b_i\neq 0\). The length of this expansion is \(n\). If some \(b_i\) is odd, then the expansion is said to be of odd type. Bessho proved the following theorem in his Master Thesis (Osaka Univ.). Theorem 1. The crosscap number \(\gamma(K)\) equals the minimal length of all expansions of odd type of all fractions corresponding to \(K\). Following this, the authors present a practical algorithm to obtain a shortest expansion from any one of \(p/q\), and then they show: Theorem. Let \(K\) be a 2-bridge knot. If a shortest expansion of \(p/q\) obtained by the algorithm contains an odd coefficient or \(\pm 2\), then \(\gamma(K)=n\), otherwise \(\gamma(K)=n+1,\) where \(n\) is the length of the expansion. The authors have calculated crosscap numbers of 2-bridge knots up to 12 crossings. The table is attached to this paper.