Some applications of Gabai's internal hierarchy (Q2445386)

The knot Floer homology \(\widehat{HFK}(Y,K)\) of a rationally homologous knot \(K\) in a 3-manifold \(Y\) is an exceptionally powerful knot invariant. It is related to the Heegaard Floer homology \(\widehat{HF}(Y)\) of \(Y\) via \(\text{rank} \widehat{HFK}(Y,K) \geq \text{rank} \widehat{HF}(Y).\) If equality holds, the knot \(Y\) is said to be \textit{Floer simple}. The problem of classifying Floer simple knots is an important problem in Heegaard Floer homology and is related to open problems in knot theory such as the Berge conjecture. In this paper, the author proves that if \(Y\) is a closed irreducible 3-manifold with nonzero Thurston norm and if \(K \subset Y\) is a null-homotopic, Floer simple knot, then \(K\) is the unknot. As a consequence of the proof, if \(Y\) is a closed surface bundle over \(S^1\) with fiber of genus at least 2 then every rationally null-homologous, Floer simple knot is the unknot. In addition to results, both deep and foundational, from Heegaard Floer homology theory, the principal tool is Gabai's sutured manifold theory and the closely related internal hierarchy for 3-manifolds [\textit{D. Gabai}, Knot theory and manifolds, Proc. Conf., Vancouver/Can. 1983, Lect. Notes Math. 1144, 14--17 (1985; Zbl 0589.57014)]. An internal hierarchy for a 3-manifold \(Y\) is a sequence \(Y = Y_1, Y_2, \hdots, Y_n\) where \(Y_n\) is the product of a surface with the circle and each term in the sequence is obtained from the previous one by cutting open along a connected incompressible surface and then regluing. The main task of the present paper is to show that an internal hierachy can be constructed for \(Y\) which preserves crucial Heegaard Floer information concerning \(K\). The paper is well-written and gives helpful background on the problem of classifying Floer simple knots. It reviews the necessary sutured manifold theory without going into excessive detail. Finally it proposes that there are \textit{no} nontrivial rationally null-homologous Floer simple knots in closed irreducible 3-manifolds with non-zero Thurston norm.