A categorification of the Alexander polynomial in embedded contact homology (Q2398914)

In [Ann. Math. (2) 159, No. 3, 1159--1245 (2004; Zbl 1081.57013)], \textit{P.~Ozsváth} and \textit{Z.~Szabó} defined the Heegaard Floer homologies \(\text{HF}^\infty(Y)\), \(\text{HF}^+(Y)\), \(\text{HF}^-(Y)\), and \(\widehat{\text{HF}}(Y)\) in respective versions of a \(3\)-manifold \(Y\). Any homologically trivial knot \(K\) in \(Y\) induces a knot filtration on the Heegaard Floer chain complexes. The first pages of the associated spectral sequences, the bigraded homology groups \(\text{HFK}^\infty(K,Y)\), \(\text{HFK}^+(K,Y)\), \(\text{HFK}^-(K,Y)\), and \(\widehat{\text{HFK}}(K,Y)\) called Heegaard Floer knot homologies are topological invariants of \(K\). In [Adv. Math. 186, No. 1, 58--116 (2004; Zbl 1062.57019)], the above authors proved that \(\widehat{\text{HFK}}(K,S^3)\) categorifies the Alexander polynomial \(\Delta_K\) of \(K\), i.e., \(\chi(\widehat{\text{HFK}}(K,S^3))\dot=\Delta(K)\), where \(\dot=\) means that the two sides are equal up to sign change and multiplication by a monic monomial, and \(\chi\) denotes the graded Euler characteristic. And in [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 8, No. 2, 615--692 (2008; Zbl 1144.57011)], they developed a similar construction for any link \(L\) in \(S^3\) and obtained invariants \(\text{HFL}^-(L,S^3)\), and \(\widehat{\text{HFL}}(L,S^3)\) called Heegaard Floer link homologies. They proved that \(\text{HFL}^-(L,S^3)\) categorifies the multivariable Alexander polynomial of \(L\). In [Geom. Topol. 15, No. 3, 1749--1842 (2011; Zbl 1231.57026)], \textit{V.~Colin} et al. defined a sutured version of embedded contact homology. In particular, they defined a hat version \(\widehat{\text{ECK}}(K,Y,\alpha)\) of embedded contact knot homology for a knot \(K\) in a contact \(3\)-manifold \((Y,\xi)\) by using sutures. In this paper, the author defines a full version of embedded contact knot homology \(\text{ECK}(K,Y,\alpha)\) for knots \(K\) in any contact three-manifold \((Y,\xi)\) endowed with a contact form \(\alpha\) for \(\xi\), and generalizes the definitions to the case of links \(L\) with more than one component to obtain homologies \(\text{ECK}(L,Y,\alpha)\) and \(\widehat{\text{ECK}}(L,Y,\alpha)\). Also, the author computes the graded Euler characteristics of the \(\text{ECK}\) homologies for knots and links in homology three-spheres. It is proven that if \(L\) is an \(n\)-component link in a homology three-sphere \(Y\), then there exists a contact form \(\alpha\) such that \(\chi(\text{ECK}(L,Y,\alpha))\dot=\text{ALEX}(Y-L)\), where \(\text{ALEX}(Y-L)\) is the Alexander quotient of the complement of \(L\) in \(Y\). Moreover, the author shows that if \(Y=S^3\), then \(\text{ECK}\) and \(\widehat{\text{ECK}}\) categorify the Alexander polynomial of knots and links, obtaining expressions analogous to those for knot and link Floer homologies in the minus and, respectively, hat versions.