On the 2-loop polynomial of knots (Q2464824)

The infinite sum of terms of the Kontsevich invariant with a fixed loop number (the first Betti number of uni-trivalent graphs) is presented by a polynomial. The polynomial presenting the 2-loop part is called the 2-loop polynomial. In this paper the author presents a methodology to calculate the 2-loop polynomial for an arbitrary given knot. Gauss diagrams are used to calculate a rational version of the Aarhus integral explicitly which constructs the 2-loop polynomial. A methodology of calculating Gauss diagrams is developed and as a consequence an explicit presentation of the 2-loop polynomial for knots of genus 1 is obtained in terms of the derivatives of the Jones polynomial of knots. Corresponding to quantum and related invariants of 3-manifolds, one can formulate equivariant invariants of the infinite cyclic covers of knots complements. Among such equivariant invariants, one can regard the 2-loop polynomial of a knot as an ``equivariant Casson invariant'' of the infinite cyclic cover of the knot complement. As an aspect of an equivariant Casson invariant, the author shows that the 2-loop polynomial of a knot is presented by using finite type invariants of degree \(\leq 3\) of a spine of a Seifert surface of the knot. By calculating this presentation concretely, he shows that the degree of the 2-loop polynomial of a knot is bounded by twice the genus of the knot which proves a conjecture of \textit{L. Rozansky} [Topology Appl. 127, No. 1--2, 47--76 (2003; Zbl 1022.57007)]. This estimate of genus is sharp for the Kinoshita-Terasaka knot and the Conway knot, whose Alexander polynomial is trivial.