Infection by string links and new structure in the knot concordance group (Q2453732)

`Infection by a string link' is an operation that takes as input either a link or a string link \(K\), together with a disc \(D\) and a sting link \(L\), and returns an object of the same kind as \(K\). Intuitively, the points of \(K\) intersecting \(D\) are gathered into groups and then tangled together as the strings of \(L\). As such, this operation can be seen as generalizing the construction of a satellite knot. For a fixed \(m\in\mathbb{Z}\), concordance classes of string links with \(m\) strings form a group under concatenation. When viewed as \(K\) and \(D\) acting on \(L\), the operation of infection by a string link provides maps between these groups of different values of \(m\). The \(n\)-solvable filtration \(\cdots \mathcal{F}_{n.5}\subseteq \mathcal{F}_n\subseteq\cdots\subseteq\mathcal{F}_{0.5}\subseteq\mathcal{F}_0\subseteq\mathcal{C}\) of the concordance group \(\mathcal{C}\) was defined by \textit{T.\ D.\ Cochran, K.\ E.\ Orr} and \textit{P.\ Teichner} [Ann. Math. (2) 157, No. 2, 433--519 (2003; Zbl 1044.57001)]. Work of \textit{T.\ D.\ Cochran, S.\ Hardy} and \textit{C.\ Leidy} [Geom. Topol. 13, No. 3, 1419--1482 (2009; Zbl 1175.57004)] has shown that the group \(\mathcal{F}_n/\mathcal{F}_{n.5}\) has infinite rank for each \(n\). The knots used for this are given by repeatedly forming satellites. They are identified by means of sequences of one-variable Laurent polynomials. Such sequences can be used to define localizations of the \(n\)-solvable filtration, and the relationship between these localizations is dependent on whether two sequences are strongly coprime. In this paper, the author uses the operation of infection by string links, in particular `doubling operations', to construct a new class of examples of elements of \(\mathcal{F}_n/\mathcal{F}_{n.5}\). This is done by extending the definition of strongly coprime to sequences of multi-varible polynomials and defining localization for such sequences. To make use of this, explicit polynomials are exhibited that are strongly coprime to every single-variable polynomial.