A link-splitting spectral sequence in Khovanov homology (Q2345108)

For every link \(L:=K_1\sqcup\cdots\sqcup K_m\), this paper presents a spectral sequence which starts at \(\text{Kh}(L)\) and converges to \(\otimes_{c=1}^m\text{Kh}(K_c)\), where \(\text{Kh}\) denotes the Khovanov homology. As applications, it shows that the collapsing page of the spectral sequence provides a lower bound for the splitting number of \(L\), and that Khovanov homology, as a bigraded module over (any extension of) \(\mathbb{F}_2\), detects the unlink among links with a fixed number of components. Khovanov homology, introduced in [Duke Math. J. 101, No. 3, 359--426 (2000; Zbl 0960.57005)] by \textit{M. Khovanov}, is a link invariant given as the homology of a bigraded chain complex \(\big(C(D),d_D\big)\) over a ring \(R\), combinatorially defined for any link diagram \(D\). Generators of \(C(D)\) correspond to full resolutions of \(D\) with \(R[X]/X^2\)--decorations on the resulting circles, and \(d_D\) roughly corresponds to switching one at a time the 0--resolved crossings to 1--resolution. Starting with a pointed diagram, multiplying the dotted circles by \(X\) induces an action on the homology which depends only on the link component which is dotted. In particular, moving the dot inside a component gives rise to chain homotopies. This endows \(\text{Kh}(L)\) with an \(A_m\)--module structure, where \(A_m:=R[X_1,\cdots,X_m]/X_i^2\). \textit{P. Kronheimer} and \textit{T. Mrowka} proved, in [Monopoles and three-manifolds. New Mathematical Monographs 10. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2007; Zbl 1158.57002)], that the rank of \(\text{Kh}\) detects the unknot, and \textit{M. Hedden} and \textit{Y. Ni} in [Geom. Topol. 17, No. 5, 3027--3076 (2013; Zbl 1277.57012)] that, as an \(A_m\)--module, it detects the unlinks. Easily computed, numerous results on the rank and bigraded shape of \(\text{Kh}\) were experimentally observed and, among them, several were proved by considering the spectral sequence associated to some filtred deformation of \(d_D\). The present paper is another successful occurence of this strategy, proving that, with regard to Khovanov homology, the rank of a link is greater than the product of the ranks of its components. The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents the deformation. It adds a summand \(d_1\) to \(d_0:=d_D\) made of terms which, roughly speaking, switch back 1--resolved crossings to 0--resolution. Signs assigment is discussed so the construction works over any ring \(R\). It deals with colored links in the sense that each component is given a weight in \(R\) and the term in \(d_1\) associated to a crossing between two components is multiplied by the difference of the corresponding weights. In particular, only mixed crossings between components with distinct weights have a contribution to \(d_1\). The total homology is shown to be invariant under crossing changes on mixed crossings, as soon as the difference of the associated weights is invertible in \(R\). The (in)dependence on the choice of weights is also partially discussed. Section 3 provides a more geometrical interpretation for \(d_1\), given as a weighted sum of the chains homotopies obtained from the \(A_m\)--action by sliding each dot all around its link component. Section 4 proves invariance under Reidemeister moves, using a Gauss elimination result and exhibiting explicit maps between the consequently reduced chain complexes. Since mixed crossings can be switched, it follows that the total homology is \(\otimes_{c=1}^m\text{Kh}(K_c)\) and, by considering the associated spectral sequence, this proves the inequality on ranks. The latter is even refined by expliciting its splitting within the internal grading. Section 5 establishes general facts on spectral sequences and, in particular, that if two filtrations on a chain complex differ at most by one, then the collapsing pages of the associated spectral sequences differ at most by one. This is the key ingredient in Section 6 to prove the lower bound on the splitting number, since switching a mixed crossing modifies precisely the (relative) filtration by at most one. Section 7 is devoted to the unlink detection property. For a link \(L\) with the same bigraded Khovanov homology as the unlink, it combines first the above inequality and Kronheimer--Mrowka's result to prove that the components of \(L\) are necessarily unknotted and that the spectral sequence converges at the first page. Then, it shows that the \(A_m\)--action is compatible with the deformation and that it is free of rank one on the total homology. It concludes by pushing out this property from the filtred level to the graded one and applying Hedden--Ni's result. Section 8 presents computations, showing that two links may have the same Khovanov homologies but distinct associated spectral sequences, and that the bound on the splitting number is strictly stronger than the coarse one induced by the linking numbers.