The loop expansion of the Kontsevich integral, the null-move and \(S\)-equivalence (Q1879805)

The Kontsevich integral of knots in \(S^3\) [\textit{M. Kontsevich}, Adv. Sov. Math. 16(2), 137--150 (1993; Zbl 0839.57006)], and more generally the Le-Murakami-Ohtsuki invariant [\textit{T. T. Q. Le, J. Murakami} and \textit{T. Ohtsuki}, Topology 37, No. 3, 539--574 (1998; Zbl 0897.57017)] of knots in integral homology spheres take values in a space of certain unitrivalent graphs with univalent vertices attached to a circle. \textit{L. Rozansky} [Topology Appl. 127, No. 1-2, 47--76 (2003; Zbl 1022.57007)] conjectured, and \textit{A. Kricker} [The lines of the Kontsevich integral and Rozansky's rationality conjecture, preprint, arXiv:math.GT/0005284] (see also [\textit{S. Garoufalidis} and \textit{A. Kricker}, Geom. Topol. 8, 115--204 (2004; Zbl 1075.57004)]) proved that the Kontsevich integral of a knot can be expressed using trivalent graphs with rational functions attached to their vertices, where the denominators of the rational functions are powers of the Alexander polynomial of the knot. This rationality result naturally introduces a filtration of the graph space in terms of Euler degree, which is \(-2\) times the Euler characteristic of the trivalent graph. The paper under review studies the relationships between the Euler grading and the null-move, which is an operation on pairs of integral homology spheres and knots, defined as surgery along a \(Y\)-graph [\textit{M. Goussarov}, C. R. Acad. Sci, Paris, Sér. I, Math. 329, No. 6, 517--522 (1999; Zbl 0938.57013)] or a tree clasper [\textit{the reviewer}, Geom. Topol. 4, 1--83 (2000; Zbl 0941.57015)] with one trivalent vertex, whose leaves are null-homologous in the complement of the knot. Two pairs are called null-equivalent if they are related by a sequence of null-moves. A null-move is a generalization of both Borromean surgery on \(3\)-manifolds [\textit{S. V. Matveev}, Mat. Zametki 42, No.2, 268--278 (1987; Zbl 0634.57006)] and double-delta moves on knots in \(S^3\) [\textit{S. Naik} and \textit{T. Stanford}, J. Knot Theory Ramifications 12, No. 5, 717--724 (2003; Zbl 1051.57010)]. As a natural generalization to the results in these two articles, it is proved that two pairs of integral homology spheres and knots are null-equivalent if and only if they admit \(S\)-equivalent Seifert matrices, and therefore if and only if they have isometric Blanchfield forms. The notion of finite type invariant for pairs of integral homology spheres and knots using the null-moves is introduced. It is proved that the Euler degree \(n\) part of the Kontsevich-LMO invariant is an invariant of null-type \(n\). It is also proved that there is a surgery map from a certain graph space defined for each degree onto the associated graded of the finite type filtration involving null-moves for the pairs of integral homology spheres and knots with trivial Alexander polynomials.