Unexpected local minima in the width complexes for knots (Q2431289)

On a fixed isotopy class of classical knots in the \(3\)-sphere, the finer equivalence relation of level isotopy is defined. This refers to a fixed Morse function on the \(3\)-sphere, restricted to the knot representative. On such a level isotopy class, the so-called width is constant. The latter generically is the sum of the number of knot points in the various regular levels of the Morse function restricted to the knot. The author uses the one-skeleton of the width complex of the knot isotopy class defined by \textit{J. Schultens} [Pac. J. Math. 239, No.~1, 135--156 (2009; Zbl 1157.57011)], to define a directed graph whose vertices are the level isotopy classes. The crucial feature of this construction is that the width does not increase along a directed edge. A question of Scharlemann answered in the negative now is whether a local minimum of the width complex (digraph) is always a global minimum, by displaying an appropriate embedding of the unknot. A consequence derived is that, for every knot, the width complex has infinitely many local minima which are not global minima.