Crosscap numbers of torus knots. (Q1426490)

The crosscap number of a knot \(K\) is also called the non-orientable genus of \(K\), since it is the minimal first Betti number of compact, connected, non-orientable surfaces \(F\) with \(\partial F =K\). In general it is difficult to determine the crosscap number of a knot. It is known that genus one knots have at most crosscap number three [\textit{B. E. Clark}, Int. J. Math. Math. Sci. 1, 113--124 (1978; Zbl 0386.57003)], [\textit{H. Murakami} and \textit{A. Yasuhara}, Pac. J. Math. 171, No. 1, 261--273 (1995; Zbl 0857.57004)] and having crosscap number one is equivalent to being a \(2\)-cable of some knot [\textit{B. E. Clark}, Int. J. Math. Math. Sci. 1, 113--124 (1978; Zbl 0386.57003)], and genus one plus crosscap number two knots are doubled knots [\textit{M. Teragaito}, J. Knot Theory Ramifications 10, No. 5, 781--794 (2001; Zbl 1001.57039)]. In this paper the author calculates the crosscap number of torus knots \(T(p,q)\). Precisely, if \(pq\) is even, then its crosscap number is \(N(p,q)\). If \(pq\) is odd, then it is \(N(pq-1,p^2)\) (respectively \(N(pq+1, p^2)\)) if \(xq\equiv -1\) (mod \(p\)) has an even (respectively odd) solution \(x\) satisfying \(0<x<p\). The positive integer \(N(x,y)\) [see \textit{G. E. Bredon} and \textit{J. W. Wood}, Invent. Math. 7, 83--110 (1969; Zbl 0175.20504)] is the minimal genus of closed, connected, non-orientable surfaces contained in the lens space \(L(x,y)\). It can be easily calculated by using continued fractions or a recursive formula. In addition, the author proves that the minimal genus non-orientable spanning surface for torus knots is unique up to isotopy in \(S^3\), and that the crosscap number of a connected sum of torus knots is the sum of their crosscap numbers, although in general the crosscap number is not additive under the connected sum operation [\textit{H. Murakami} and \textit{A. Yasuhara}, Pac. J. Math. 171, No. 1, 261--273 (1995; Zbl 0857.57004)].