Augmentations and rulings of Legendrian links in \(\#^k(S^1\times S^2)\) (Q2397677)

If $A$, $M>0$, then a tangle $T$ in $[0,A]\times[-M,M]\times[-M,M]$ is called Legendrian if it is everywhere tangent to the standard contact structure $dz-ydx$. A Legendrian tangle $T$ is said to be in normal form if $T$ meets $x=0$ and $x=A$ in $k$ groups of strands, and within the $\ell$-th group the strands are labeled by $1,\dots,N_\ell$ from top to bottom at $x=0$ in both the $xy$- and $xz$-projections and $x=A$ in the $xz$-projection, and from bottom to top at $x=A$ in the $xy$-projection. \par Every Legendrian tangle in normal form gives a Legendrian link in $\#^k(S^1\times S^2)$ by attaching $k$ 1-handles which join parts of the $xz$ projection of the tangle at $x=0$ to the parts at $x=A$. If $\Lambda=\Lambda_1\sqcup\dots\sqcup\Lambda_n$ is a Legendrian link in $\#^k(S^1\times S^2)$ in normal form with exactly one point labeled $*_i$ corresponding to $t_*$ within the tangle on each link component $\Lambda_i$ of $A$, then $\mathcal{A}(\Lambda)$ is the tensor algebra over the ring $R=\mathbb{Z}[t_1^\pm,\dots,t_s^\pm]$ generated by $\tilde a_1,\dots,\tilde a_m$, where $\tilde a_i$ are the crossings of the $xy$ tangle diagram in normal form. \par In [Invent. Math. 150, No. 3, 441--483 (2002; Zbl 1029.57011)], \textit{Y. Chekanov} described the non-commutative differential graded algebra $(\mathcal{A},\partial)$ over $\mathbb{Z}/2$ associated to a Lagrangian diagram of a Legendrian link in $(\mathbb{R}^3,\xi_{\text{std}})$ as generated by crossings of the link, where the differential $\partial$ is determined by a count of immersed polygons whose corners lie at crossings of the link and whose edges lie on the link. $(\mathcal{A},\partial)$ is called the Chekanov-Eliashberg differential graded algebra. \par Augmentations and normal rulings are important tools in the study of Legendrian knot theory, especially in the study of Legendrian knots in $\mathbb{R}^3$. If $F$ is a field, then an augmentation of $(\mathcal{A},\partial)$ to $F$ is a ring map $\varepsilon:\mathcal{A}\to F$ such that $\varepsilon\circ\partial=0$ and $\varepsilon(1)=1$. If $\rho|2r(\Lambda)$ and $\varepsilon$ is supported on generators of degree divisible by $\rho$, then $\varepsilon$ is said to be $\rho$-graded. Consider the tangle portion of the $\pi_{xz}(\Lambda)$ diagram in normal form of a Legendrian link $\Lambda\subset\#^k(S^1\times S^2)$, then a normal ruling can be viewed locally as a decomposition of $\pi_{xz}(\Lambda)$ into pairs of paths. \par The main result of this paper states that if $\Lambda$ is an $s$-component Legendrian link in $\mathbb{R}^3$ and $F$ is a field, then the Chekanov-Eliashberg differential graded algebra $(\mathcal{A},\partial)$ over $\mathbb{Z}[t_1^\pm,\dots,t_s^\pm]$ has a $\rho$-graded augmentation $\varepsilon:\mathcal{A}\to F$ if and only if a front diagram of $\Lambda$ has a $\rho$-graded normal ruling. Furthermore, if $\rho$ is even, then $\varepsilon(t_1\dots t_s)=(-1)^s$. \par Also, the author shows that if $\Lambda$ is a Legendrian link in the 1-jet space of the circle $J^1(S^1)$, then the Chekanov-Eliashberg differential graded algebra $(\mathcal{A},\partial)$ over $\mathbb{Z}[t_1^\pm,\dots,t_s^\pm]$ has a $\rho$-graded augmentation $\varepsilon:\mathcal{A}\to F$ if and only if a front diagram of $\Lambda$ has a $\rho$-graded generalized normal ruling.