On the HOMFLY polynomial of 4-plat presentations of knots (Q289717)

This paper gives a formula to calculate the HOMFLY polynomials of \(2\)-bridge knots by using representations of the braid group \(\mathbb{B}_4\) on \(4\)-strands into a group of \(3\times 3\) matrices. In knot theory, the HOMFLY polynomial is a \(2\)-variable oriented link polynomial introduced in [\textit{P. Freyd} et al., Bull. Am. Math. Soc., New Ser. 12, 239--246 (1985; Zbl 0572.57002)] and in [\textit{J. H. Przytycki} and \textit{P. Traczyk}, Kobe J. Math. 4, No. 2, 115--139 (1987; Zbl 0655.57002)], and is a generalization of both the Alexander polynomial and the Jones polynomial. For \(2\)-bridge knots, a formula to calculate their HOMFLY polynomials was given in [\textit{W. B. R. Lickorish} and \textit{K. C. Millett}, Topology 26, 107--141 (1987; Zbl 0608.57009)] and in [\textit{T. Kanenobu} and \textit{T. Sumi}, Math. Comput. 60, No. 202, 771--778, S17-S28 (1993; Zbl 0781.57002)]. The formula uses continued fraction representations into a group of \(2\times 2\) matrices. In this paper, the author starts with a standard and reduced alternating diagram of a \(2\)-bridge knot \(K\) which is obtained from a \(3\)-braid together with an additional straight strand. Let \(T_w(\subset K)\) be the \(2\)-tangle obtained from the \(4\)-braid by capping off two local minima. The main result of this paper states that the ``HOMFLY polynomial'' of \(T_w\) consists of three polynomials and is calculated by taking a product of \(3\times 3\) matrices. Moreover, the HOMFLY polynomial of \(K\) is easily computed from these three polynomials.