Links associated with generic immersions of graphs (Q1880643)

An algebraic link is the link of a singularity of an algebraic curve, and a transverse \({\mathbb C}\)-link [\textit{L. Rudolph}, Topology '90, Contrib. Res. Semester Low Dimensional Topol., Columbus/OH (USA) 1990, Ohio State Univ. Math. Res. Inst. Publ. 1, 343-349 (1992; Zbl 0785.57002)] is a link which is represented as the transversal intersection of an algebraic curve and the unit 3-sphere in the 2-dimensional complex space. Though an algebraic link is a transverse \({\mathbb C}\)-link, the converse is not true [see \textit{L. Rudolph}, Topology 22, 191--202 (1983; Zbl 0505.57003)]. A'Campo constructed links of divides in [\textit{N. A'Campo}, Ann. Fac. Sci. Toulouse, VI. Sér., Math. 8, 5-23 (1999; Zbl 0962.32025)] as an extension of the class of algebraic links, where a divide is a generic relative immersion of a disjoint union of arcs and loops in a 2-disk, and showed in [\textit{N. A'Campo}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 88, 151-169 (1998; Zbl 0960.57007)] that any of the links of divides is ambient isotopic to a transverse \({\mathbb C}\)-link. In [\textit{L. Rudolph}, Topology 22, 191-202 (1983; Zbl 0505.57003)], Rudolph also showed that a quasipositive link is a transverse \({\mathbb C}\)-link, where a quasipositive link is an oriented link which has a closed quasipositive braid diagram, that is a product of braids which are conjugates of positive braids, and the converse is also true by Boileau and Orevkov [\textit{M. Boileau} and \textit{S. Orevkov}, C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I, Math. 332, 825--830 (2001; Zbl 1020.32020)]. \textit{W. Gibson} and \textit{M. Ishikawa} [Topology Appl. 123, 609--636 (2002; Zbl 1028.57006)] constructed links of free divides, where a free divide is a generic non-relative immersion of a disjoint union of arcs in a 2-disk. In [\textit{T. Kawamura}, Topology Appl. 125, 111--123 (2002; Zbl 1013.57003)], the author proved that links of divides and free divides are quasipositive and there exists quasipositive links which are not the links of any divide or free divide. In the paper under review, the author introduces the links of graph divides as an extension of the links of divides or free divides, where a graph divide is a generic non-relative immersion of a disjoint union of finite graphs and loops in a 2-disk, and proves that the links of graph divides are quasipositive. Furthermore the author proves that if a knot of a graph divide is a slice knot then it is a trivial knot. This implies that there exists a quasipositive link which is not a link of any graph divide. Actually the author gives an example of such a quasipositive link, the mirror image of the knot \(8_{20}\) in Rolfsen's table which is quasipositive but a non-trivial slice knot.