A survey of virtual knot theory (Q2725545)

This article gives a nice survey of the virtual knot theory, originated by the author. The definition of virtual knots is presented (Section 2) together with two motivations, knots in (surface) \(\times I\) and Gauss codes (Section 3). After introducing the fundamental group and quandles of a virtual knot, the author states the basic theorem of \textit{M. Goussarov}, \textit{M. Polyak} and \textit{O. Viro} [Topology 39, No. 5, 1045--1068 (2000; Zbl 1006.57005)] that two classical knots are equivalent if and only if they are equivalent as virtual knots, and explains the idea of the proof using quandle and Waldhausen's classical theorem. Virtual knots which are distinguished from their mirror images by the fundamental groups are presented, showing striking contrast to the classical knot theory (Section 4). The bracket polynomials and the Jones polynomials are extended to virtual knots and examples of non-trivial virtual knots with the trivial Jones polynomials are presented (Section 5). Quantum invariants for virtual knots are introduced, and its strength is appealed by proving the non-triviality of a virtual knots with the trivial Jones polynomial (Section 6). Finally, discussions of Vassiliev invariants (Sections 7 and 8) and those of virtual braids (Section 9) are given.NEWLINENEWLINEFor the entire collection see [Zbl 0959.00034].