Additive invariants for knots, links and graphs in 3-manifolds (Q1785081)

Following an extensive discussion of several related knot invariants (bridge number, tunnel number, width) the authors position their contribution in the established literature. By judicious and insightful modification of some existing invariants they obtain two new families of numerical invariants for graphs in most 3-manifolds. These invariants enjoy the properties of identifying the trivial knot in \(S^3\) and being additive under connected sum. They also are additive in a certain sense under trivalent vertex sum. The invariants for a pair \((M,T)\), \(M\) a compact, orientable \(3\)-manifold and \(T\) an imbedded graph, are based on certain counts of the intersection numbers of the graph with non-critical surfaces (``thin'' and ``thick'') arising from a Morse or ``height'' function \(f\) on \(M,T\). (A thick surface lies ``above'' minima of \(f\) on \(T\) and ``below'' maxima on \(T\) while a thin surface is ``above'' maxima of \(f\) on \(T\) and ``below'' minima.) Ignoring some details, the invariants are obtained roughly as follows: Let \(H^+\) denote the set of thick surfaces and \(H^-\) the set of thin surfaces arising from a non-redundant collection \(H\) of non-critical surfaces from a Morse function on \((M,T)\). Define \(\operatorname{ext}(S) = ({|S \cap T| - \chi(S)})/2\) for any (possibly disconnected) surface \(S\). Given the 2 subsets of surfaces in \(H\), \(H^+\) and \(H^-\) one then forms the quantities \(\operatorname{netext}(H) = \operatorname{ext}(H^+) - \operatorname{ext}(H^-)\) and \(w(H) = 2(\sum_{F\sqsubset H^+}\operatorname{ext}^2(F) - \sum_{E\sqsubset H^-} \operatorname{ext}^2(E))\). By limiting the possible surface sets, \(H\) to those for which \(\chi(H^-) - \chi(H^+) \leqq x\) and letting \(H\) vary over possible collections, one may obtain the authors' new invariants \[ \operatorname{netext}_{x}(M,T) = \min_{H}\operatorname{netext}(H) \] and \[ w_{x}(M,T) = \min_{H}w(H). \] If \(x \geqq 2g(M) -2\) where \(g(M)\) denotes the genus of \(M\), \(M\) does not contain a non-separating \(S^2\), and T is connected and non-empty, then \(\operatorname{netext}_{x}(M,T) = 0\) implies \(M = S^3\) and \(T\) is the unknot. The invariant \(w_{2}(S^3,K)\) is a variant of \textit{D. Gabai}'s width [J. Differ. Geom. 26, 479--536 (1987; Zbl 0639.57008)], where the surfaces transverse to the knot \(K\) need not be concentric spheres. In contrast to Gabai's width, the authors' invariant is additive. The relation of the new invariants to classical invariants such as tunnel number and bridge number and their newer versions is explored, a number of older theorems reproved and generalized, and various theorems on the additivity of the invariants proved.