Knots with compressible thin levels (Q2351935)

For a knot \(K\), thin position for \(K\) is given, intuitively, by arranging \(K\) with respect to height in \(S^3\) so that each level sphere intersects \(K\) a small number of times. A thin level is one where the critical point immediately below is a maximum while that above is a minimum. Similarly, a thick level is one with a minimum just below it and a maximum above. If \(K\) is in think position, \textit{Y-Q. Wu} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 132, No. 11, 3417 -- 3421 (2004; Zbl 1055.57012)] has shown that a thinnest thin level (that is, a level sphere that intersects \(K\) the minimum number of times) is an essential surface in the knot exterior. This paper shows that this is not the case for all thin levels by giving infinitely many examples of knots with a thin level that is compressible. In addition, the authors show that if a tangle sum has sufficiently high distance (that is, if the gluing map used to form a tangle sum is sufficiently complicated) then the bridge number of the sum can be calculated from bridge spheres for the two constituent tangles. The paper builds on work of \textit{R. Blair} et al. [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 13, No. 5, 2925--2946 (2013; Zbl 1278.57004)] and of \textit{J. Johnson} and \textit{M. Tomova} [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 11, No. 4, 1987--2005 (2011; Zbl 1231.57007)], as well as drawing inspiration from examples by \textit{R. Blair} and \textit{M. Tomova} [Geom. Topol. 17, No. 1, 93--156 (2013; Zbl 1275.57004)]. Part of the proof makes use of `bridge-thin position', which minimises first bridge number and then width.