Band number and the double slice genus (Q2329085)

Consider surfaces in \(S^4\) intersecting the equator \(S^3\) in a given knot \(K\) and bounding a handlebody. The minimal genus of such surfaces is called the double slice genus \(g_{ds}(K)\) of the knot \(K\). The double of the Seifert genus as well as the double of the unknotting number are seen to be upper bounds for the double slice genus. The minimal number of saddle moves to produce the unknot from \(K\) corresponds to a band unknotting sequence and defines the band unknotting number \(u_b(K)\). Further refinement leads to the superslice genus \(g_{ss}(K)\), and the main result is the inequality sequence \(u_b(K) \geqslant g_{ss}(K) \geqslant g_{ds}(K)\). The proof uses the notions of ribbon surface coming from band unknotting, and of broken surface diagram, a technique from surface knots in \(4\)-space. The minimal number of bands on a ribbon surface of \(K\), the band number \(b(K)\), turns out to be another upper bound for \(g_{ds}(K)\).