Planar diagrams of surface-links (Q2212389)

In this paper, the author discusses planar diagrams for embedded surfaces in \(\mathbb{R}^4\) or surfaces mapped in general position in \(\mathbb{R}^3\). Planar diagrams are called charts by S. Kamada. A 2-link is the image of a smooth embedding \(f: F \to \mathbb{R}^4\), where \(F\) is a closed surface that is possibly disconnected and/or nonorientable. In particular, if the closed surface is a 2-sphere \(S^2\), then \(f(S^2)\) is called a 2-knot. A diagram of a 2-link is a two-colored graph in \(\mathbb{R}^2\) with some additional information, constructed by using projections \(p_1: \mathbb{R}^4 \to \mathbb{R}^3\) and \(p_2: \mathbb{R}^3 \to \mathbb{R}^2\), and considering the singularity set of \(p_1 \circ f\) and mapping it into \(\mathbb{R}^2\) by \(p_2\). The singularity set of \(p_1 \circ f\) consists of possibly intersecting circles and arcs, and each circle or arc is called a double line. In this paper, the author discusses mainly 2-knots and demonstrates methods of using diagrams of 2-links and surfaces in \(\mathbb{R}^3\). As an example, the author constructs a diagram of the Boy surface, and gives transformations of diagrams. Further, the author gives several necessary properties of 2-link diagrams. Then the author discusses surfaces with two triple points, and in particular, the author constructs a sphere which is unknotted in \(\mathbb{R}^4\) and has two triple points and exactly one double line in \(\mathbb{R}^3\).