The knots in \(D^ 2\times S^ 1\) which have nontrivial Dehn surgeries that yield \(D^ 2\times S^ 1\) (Q2276805)

The knots in a solid torus \(V=D^ 2\times S^ 1\) are classified which do not lie in a 3-cell in V and for which some nontrivial Dehn surgery gives back \(D^ 2\times S^ 1\) again, together with the different surgeries yielding \(D^ 2\times S^ 1\), for each such knot. First, all pairs of simple closed curves on the boundary of a handlebody of genus 2 are classified, up to homeomorphism, which intersect transversely exactly once and such that each curve represents a free generator of the fundamental group of the handlebody. Such pairs of curves lead in a natural way to the construction of knots in \(D^ 2\times S^ 1\) with the above property. A result of Gabai on surgery on knots in solid tori then implies that one obtains all such knots by this construction. It is also shown that most of these knots are atoroidal.