Determinant density and biperiodic alternating links (Q323952)

This paper considers certain types of convergence properties for alternating knots. A sequence of alternating link diagrams \(K_n\) is said to Følner converge almost everywhere to an infinite link diagram \(L\) if for each diagram graph of \(K_n\) there are subgraphs \(G_n\) that form a Følner sequence for the diagram graph of \(L\), and the limit of the number of vertices of \(G_n\) over the number of crossings of \(K_n\) equals one. Given a sequence of Følner convergent almost everywhere alternating knots \(K_n\) with \(c(K_n)\) denoting the crossing number and det\((K_n)\) denoting the determinant of the knot, the authors show the determinant density, the ratio determined by \[ \frac{\log \text{det}(K_n)}{c(K_n)} \] converges to a formula containing the Mahler measure of a polynomial of an infinite link. Asymptotic dimer models from statistical mechanics are used to help prove the main result. This work is applied to the infinite square weave and triaxial links. The case of the infinite square weave was previously computed by the authors with \textit{J. S. Purcell} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 94, No. 3, 883--908 (2016; Zbl 1358.57013)].