Homologically thin, non-quasi-alternating links (Q2275676)

The set \(\mathcal Q\) of quasi-alternating (QA) links in the 3-sphere is the smallest set of links such that: (1) the unknot belongs to \(\mathcal Q\); (2) if \(L\) is a link with a projection containing a crossing for which the two resolutions \(L_1\) and \(L_2\) belong to \(\mathcal Q\), and \(det(L)=det(L_1)+det(L_2)\), then \(L\) belongs to \(\mathcal Q\). By this definition, non-split alternating links belong to \(\mathcal Q\). This class of links was defined by \textit{P. Ozsváth} and \textit{Z. Szabó} [Adv. Math. 194, No. 1, 1--33 (2005; Zbl 1076.57013)]; it arises naturally in connection with various link homologies. A knot Floer or Khovanov homology group is thin if it is supported on a single diagonal with respect to the bigrading. By the work of several authors, it follows that a QA link \(L\) has the following properties: (1) the knot Floer homology group \(\widehat{HFK}(L,\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z})\) is thin; (2) the reduced ordinary Khovanov homology group \(\overline{Kh}(L;\mathbb{Z})\) is thin and torsion free; (3) the reduced odd Khovanov homology group \(\overline{Kh}'(L;\mathbb{Z})\) is thin and torsion free; (4) the branched double-cover \(\Sigma(L)\) is a Heegaard Floer \(L\)-space, and it bounds a negative definite 4-manifold \(W\) with \(H_1(W)=0\). It is said that a link is homologically thin if its homology groups \(\widehat{HFK}\), \(\overline{Kh}\) and \(\overline{Kh}'\) are simultaneously thin and torsion free. So, QA links are homologically thin, and it is then interesting to ask whether or not all homologically thin links are QA. The main purpose of the paper under review is to show examples of links which are homologically thin but are not QA. The simplest of these examples is the knot \(11n 50\). To prove the result, the author finds some links for which the homologies have been calculated, and then shows that the links do not satisfy property (4) above. The author also gives a determination of all pretzel links that are QA.