On knot 2-adjacency (Q2452043)

A knot \(K\) is called \(2\)-adjacent, or \(2\)-adjacent to the unknot if it has a knot diagram \(D\) containing two crossings such that switching any of them or both of them can change \(D\) into a diagram of the unknot. In this paper, the author studies the relations between the related crossings and the second and fourth coefficients of the Conway polynomials of 2-adjacent knots, the relations between the crossings and the extreme coefficients of the related Homfly polynomials, and explains how these coefficients determine the signs of the crossings. Finally, the author proves that 17 knots of the 19 exceptions given in \textit{A. Stoimenow}'s paper [Math. Scand. 94, No. 2, 227--248 (2004; Zbl 1060.57008)] are not 2-adjacent.