Variation of the Alexander-Conway polynomial under Dehn surgery (Q1876211)

Let \(\varepsilon_1\) and \(\varepsilon_2\) belong to \(\{\pm 1\}\). When the \(\varepsilon_1\)-surgery along a knot \(K_1\) in \(\mathbb{S}^3\) produces the same homology sphere as the \(\varepsilon_2\)-surgery along a knot \(K_2\) in \(\mathbb{S}^3\), then the Casson surgery formula implies that \[ \varepsilon_1\Delta^{\prime\prime}_{K_1}(1)= \varepsilon_2\Delta^{\prime\prime}_{K_2}(1) \] where \(\Delta_K(t)\) denotes the symmetric Alexander polynomial of a knot in \(\mathbb{S}^3\). The authors show that there is no other restriction for the Alexander polynomials of \(K_1\) and \(K_2\) by proving the following theorem: Let \(H\) be an integral homology 3-sphere. Let \(f_1(z)= \sum^n_{i=2} c_i z^{2i}\) and \(f_2(z)= \sum^n_{i=2} d_i z^{2i}\) be two polynomials in \(z^2\). For any \(\varepsilon_1,\varepsilon_2\in\{-1, 1\}\) and for any integer \(a\in\mathbb{Z}\) there exist framed knots \((K_1,\varepsilon_1)\) and \((K_2, \varepsilon_2)\) in \(H\) such that \(\nabla_{K_1}(z)= 1+\varepsilon_2\,a\,z^2+ f_1(z)\) and \(\nabla_{K_2}(z)= 1+ \varepsilon_1\,a\,z^2+ f_2(z)\) and the manifolds obtained from \(H\) by surgeries along \(K_1\) and \(K_2\) with coefficients \(\varepsilon_1\) and \(\varepsilon_2\), respectively, coincide. Here \(\nabla_K(z)\) denotes the Conway polynomial of a knot \(K\). In particular, for any pair \((\Lambda_1(t), \Lambda_2(t))\) of possible knot Alexander polynomials such that \(\varepsilon_1\Lambda^{\prime\prime}_1(1)= \varepsilon_2\Lambda^{\prime\prime}_2(1)\), the authors construct a pair \((K_1, K_2)\) of knots in the 3-sphere such that \(\Delta_K(t)= \Lambda_1(t)\), \(\Delta_{K_2}(t)= \Lambda_2(t)\) and \(\varepsilon_i\)-surgeries along \(K_i\) produce the same homology sphere.