Links and Gordian numbers associated with certain generic immersions of circles (Q2496556)

\textit{N. A'Campo} first defined the link of a divide in [Ann. Fac. Sci. Toulouse, VI. Ser., Math. 8, 5--23 (1999; Zbl 0962.32025)] as an extension of an algebraic link, that is, the link of a singularity of an algebraic curve [also see \textit{N. A'Campo}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Etud. Sci. 88, 151--169 (1998; Zbl 0960.57007); \textit{L. Rudolph}, Topology 22, 191--202 (1983; Zbl 0505.57003); \textit{M. Boileau} and \textit{S. Orevkov}, C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Ser. I, Math. 332, 825--830 (2001; Zbl 1020.32020); \textit{T. Kawamura}, Topology Appl. 125, 111--123 (2002; Zbl 1013.57003)]. A divide \(P\) is (the image of) a generic relative immersion in the unit disk \((D^2, \partial D^2)\) of a finite number of \(1\)-manifolds, that is, copies of the unit interval \((I, \partial I)\) and the unit circle. The link \(L(P)\) of a divide \(P\) is a subset of the \(3\)-sphere \(S^3\) that consists of the pairs \((x, u)\) with \(x \in P\) and \(u \in T_xP\) satisfying \(| x| ^2+| u| ^2=1\), where \(T_xP\) is the tangent space at a point \(x\) of \(P \subset \mathbb R^2\). A divide link is a link in \(S^3\) ambient isotopic to the link \(L(P)\) of a divide \(P\) with an orientation induced by an orientation for the tangent bundle \(T\mathbb R^2\). \textit{N. A'Campo} proved that the Gordian (unknotting) number of a divide link \(L(P)\) is equal to the number of double points of \(P\), which equals the 4-ball genus of \(L(P)\) in the case that \(P\) consists only one unit interval. On the other hand, \textit{W. Gibson} and \textit{M. Ishikawa} [Topology Appl. 123, 609--636 (2002; Zbl 1028.57006)] defined the notion of a free divide that is a generic non-relative immersion of a disjoint union of the unit intervals in the interior of the 2-disk \(D^2\) and constructed the links of free divides. They showed that the Gordian number of the link \(L(P)\) of a free divide \(P\) is equal to the number of double points of \(P\) and that the 4-ball genus of a free divide knot equals its Gordian number. In the paper under review, the author considers the links of circle divides, that is, generic relative immersions in \((D^2, \partial D^2)\) of a finite number of copies of the unit circle. The main result is the following: Suppose that a circle divide \(P\) can be transformed into a trivial circle divide by a finite sequence of the transformations of divides (actually, the Reidemeister moves of Type I that remove an outermost kink, Type II and Type III, ignoring the crossing information for double points) and diffeomorphisms of the unit disk. Then the Gordian number and the 4-dimensional clasp number [\textit{T. Kawamura}, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 130, No.~1, 243--252 (2002; Zbl 0986.57006)] of the link of \(P\) are equal to the sum of the number of circle branches (the image of the copies of the unit circle) and the number of double points of \(P\). The author estimates this result for special circle divides such as a slalom circle divide, an ordered Morse circle divide and an almost ordered Morse circle divide, and also give some examples of circle divides to which the main result cannot be applied.