Rational Seifert surfaces in Seifert fibered spaces (Q450512)

This paper considers links in Seifert fibered spaces. Such a space can be described by an orbifold \(\Sigma\) that is a surface with a finite number of points labelled by rational numbers. Each link is depicted by the projection of the link onto \(\Sigma\), together with a rational number for each region of the resulting diagram. Following \textit{V. Turaev} [J. Differ. Geom.{} 36, 35--74 (1992; Zbl 0773.57012)], it is proved that suitable labelled diagrams up to equivalence correspond to links up to isotopy and an action of \(H_1(\Sigma)\). Next, two additional labellings of the diagram (a formal rational Seifert surface, and a fiber distribution) are defined. A method is given for constructing a rational Seifert surface \(S\) (that is, \(\partial S=rL\) for some \(r\)) using the labellings, mimicking Seifert's algorithm. Using this it is proved that the existence of such a pair of labellings for a link \(L\) is equivalent to \(L\) being rationally null-homologous. Finally, it is shown that, if the Seifert fibered space is equipped with a transverse, \(S^1\)-invariant contact structure, and \(L\) is a rationally null-homologous Legendrian knot, then the rotation number and the Thurston-Bennequin number of \(L\) can be calculated from a formal rational Seifert surface and a compatible fiber distribution.