On Vassiliev knot invariants induced from finite type 3-manifold invariants (Q4252945)

In [Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 117, No.~1, 83-112 (1995; Zbl 0843.57019)], \textit{T. Ohtsuki} introduced finite type invariants of homology 3-spheres. They are analogous to finite type invariants of links introduced by Vassiliev. The set of all finite type invariants of homology sphere of order no more than \(k\) is denoted by \({\mathcal O}_k\). Given \(\lambda \in {\mathcal O}_k\), \textit{S. Garoufalidis} defined a finite type knot invariant \(v_{\lambda}\) using \(v_{\lambda}(K)=\lambda(S^3) - \lambda(S^3_K)\) for every knot \(K\) in \(S^3\) with \(+1\) framing [J. Knot Theory Ramifications 5, No.~4, 441-461 (1996; Zbl 0889.57015)]. It follows easily from definition that if \(\lambda \in {\mathcal O}_k\), then \(v_{\lambda}\) is of order no more than \(k-1\). In this paper, the authors prove that for each \(\lambda \in {\mathcal O}_k\), \(v_{\lambda}\) is actually of order no more than \(k-2\). The method is a refinement of that used by \textit{T. Ohtsuki} in proving the finiteness of \(\dim {\mathcal O}_k\) [Finite type invariants of integral homology 3-spheres, J. Knot Theory Ramifications 5, No.~1, 101-115 (1996)]. Given that the paper was originally submitted in 1995, there have been a lot of new developments since then. It has been shown, by Garoufalidis-Levine that \({\mathcal O}_{3n}={\mathcal O}_{3n+1}={\mathcal O}_{3n+2}\). Furthermore, \(\lambda \in {\mathcal O}_{3n}\) implies that \(v_{\lambda}\) is of order at most \(2n\) (proved by Habegger and Garoufalidis-Levine). The authors make the remark in a note added in proof, and for details they refer to the survey article by \textit{X.-S. Lin} [Banach Cent. Publ. 42, 205-220 (1998; Zbl 0901.57024)].