An unknotting invariant for welded knots (Q2062924)

Virtual knots and links, by \textit{L. Kauffman} [Eur. J. Comb. 20, No.7, 663--690 (1999; Zbl 0938.57006)], extend classical knots and links by allowing virtual crossings, as well as classical crossings, extending isotopy via additional analogous Reidemeister type moves for virtual crossings and for interactions between virtual and classical crossings. Welded knots and links are virtual knots and links in which virtual isotopy is extended to welded isotopy by also permitting the application of one of the so-called forbidden moves (moving a strand with only virtual crossings over a classical crossing). Following \textit{R. Fenn} et al. [Topology 36, No. 1, 123--135 (1997; Zbl 0861.57010)], welded braids are a representation of the subgroup of the automorphism group of the free group generated by the braid group and the permutation group. \textit{C. Damiani} [Expo. Math. 35, No. 3, 252--285 (2017; Zbl 1403.20052)] unified various definitions arising in mathematics and mathematical physics, demonstrating equivalences with loop braid groups, motion groups, and untwisted ring groups. The virtualisation move, inserting virtual crossings either side of a classical crossing, has been used to construct non-trivial virtual knots with trivial Jones polynomial by \textit{L. Kauffman} [Atti Semin. Mat. Fis. Univ. Modena 49, Suppl., 241--282 (2001; Zbl 1072.57004)]. In this paper, Gill et al. consider the welded analogue of the virtualisation move, demonstrating that this is an unknotting operation. They relate the associated unknotting twist number invariant (the minimal number of moves to trivialize a welded knot) to various welded knots invariants, including the welded unknotting number (the minimal number of classical crossing to welded crossing switches required to trivialize), and give lower bounds on the twist number using Alexander quandle colorings.