Simplifying branched covering surface-knots by chart moves involving black vertices (Q1670790)

In the author's previous paper [J. Knot Theory Ramifications 27, No. 5, Article ID 1850031, 29 p. (2018; Zbl 1394.57021)], it was shown that one can deform a branched covering surface-knot (formerly called a 2-dimensional braid) over an oriented surface-knot \(F\) (unknotted in the standard form) to a simplified form. The present paper investigates further such simplifications of branched covering surface-knots when they have branch points. This is done by addition of finitely many 1-handles of given form to appropriate places in \(F\). Each of these 1-handles is called a 1-handle with chart loop or simply a 1-handle. The obtained form is called the simplified form and the necessary minimal number of 1-handles, denoted \(u_w\), is called the simplified number. It is proved that for a branched covering surface-knot of degree \(N\), with non-zero black vertices and zero white vertices, it holds that \(u_w \leq N-2.\)