Singular link Floer homology (Q1007222)

Link Floer homology is a version of Heegaard Floer homology for knots and links, defined by \textit{P. Ozsváth} and \textit{Z. Szabó} [Adv. Math. 186, No.~1, 58--116 (2004; Zbl 1062.57019); Algebr. Geom. Topol. 8, No.~2, 615--692 (2008; Zbl 1144.57011)] and independently for knots by \textit{J. Rasmussen} [``Floer homology and knot complements'', Ph.D. dissertation, Harvard Univ., arXiv:math/0306378]. A combinatorial description for links in the 3-sphere based on grid diagrams was described by \textit{C. Manolescu, P. S. Ozsváth} and \textit{S. Sarkar} [Ann. Math. (2) 169, No.~2, 633--660 (2009; Zbl 1179.57022)] and \textit{C. Manolescu, P. Ozsváth, Z. Szabó} and \textit{D. Thurston} [Geom. Topol. 11, 2339--2412 (2007; Zbl 1155.57030)]. In the paper under review, link Floer homology is extended to singular links, i.e., links in the three-sphere with a finite number of double points. Grid diagrams for singular links are described. Singular rows or columns contain two X's and two O's, and there is a singular row or column for each double point of the link being described. All other rows or columns contain one X and one O as usual. Given a singular link with a choice of orientation at each double point, a chain complex is defined using a grid diagram and its homology \(\widehat{HFV}(L)\) is shown to be an invariant of the singular link \(L\). This specialises to the link Floer homology \(\widehat{HF}(L)\) for nonsingular links. The author states that the motivation for this work is the question of whether link Floer homology fits into a Vassiliev-like finite type theory. A different extension of link Floer homology to singular links is given by \textit{P. Ozsváth, A. Stipsicz} and \textit{Z. Szabó} [J. Topol. 2, No.~2, 380--404 (2009; Zbl 1190.57020)].