On combinatorial link Floer homology (Q2464445)

Heegaard Floer homology is an invariant for three-manifolds, defined using holomorphic disks and Heegaard diagrams [\textit{P. Ozsváth} and \textit{Z. Szabó}, Ann. Math. (2) 159, No.~3, 1027--1158 (2004; Zbl 1073.57009)]. Ozsváth--Szabó and Rasmussen extended this construction to give an invariant, knot Floer homology, for null-homologous knots in a closed, oriented three-manifold. This construction was further generalized by Ozsváth and Szabó to the case of oriented links. The definition of all these invariants involves counts of holomorphic disks in the symmetric product of a Riemann surface. The purpose of the present paper is to develop knot (or link) Floer homology in purely elementary terms, starting from a grid presentation, and to establish its topological invariance without appeal to the earlier theory.