The symplectic Floer homology of the square knot and granny knots (Q1284782)

This paper contains an explicit calculation of the symplectic Floer homology of a knot of the form \(K_1\# K_2\), in the particular case where the \(K_i\) are the left or right trefoil (square and granny knot). The generators of the Floer complex for \(K_1\# K_2\) are decomposed in terms of the generators for \(K_1\) and \(K_2\), and the corresponding Maslov index is computed accordingly. There is a filtration of the resulting Floer complex by index. The associated spectral sequence converges to the Floer homology of \(K_1\# K_2\) and degenerates at the \(E^3\) term. There is an explicit formula for the first differential in the spectral sequence, where the correction term to the differentials of the complexes for \(K_1\) and \(K_2\) is given by flows into and out of the unique reducible. Finally, in the particular case of the square and granny knots, the second differential vanishes, thus making the computation especially simple. The author then leaves open the question of possible relations between the Poincaré polynomial of the Floer homology of the knot and the Alexander polynomial.