Essential surfaces in highly twisted link complements (Q2351929)

Given a link diagram \(D(K)\) of a link \(K\) in \(S^3\), let \(t(D)\) denote the number of twist regions in \(D(K)\) and let \(h(D)\) denote the minimal number of crossings in a twist region of \(D(K)\). Under the hypothesis that \(D(K)\) is connected, prime, and twist reduced, and that \(t(D) \geq 2\) and \(h(D)\geq 6\), assuming that \(F\) is a closed, essential, \(c\)-incompressible surface in the complement of \(K\), the authors prove that the Euler characteristic of \(F\) satisfies \(\chi(F) \leq 5 - h(D)\). Moreover, supposing \(K\) is a knot, then \(\chi(F) \leq 10 - 2 h(D)\). Under the same hypothesis on \(D(K)\), but now assuming that \(F\) is a connected, essential, \(c\)-incompressible surface in the complement of \(K\) whose boundary consists of meridians of \(K\), they prove that either \(F\) is a sphere with \(n\) punctures which is visible in the diagram or \(\chi(F) \leq 5 - h(D)\).