Clasp-pass move and Vassiliev invariants of type three for knots (Q4955772)

Local moves on knot diagrams, in which some standard tangle is replaced by another one, are a central ingredient in skein theory. Recently there have been accounts by \textit{T. Stanford} [Pac. J. Math. 174, No. 1, 269-276 (1996; Zbl 0868.57016)] and \textit{K. Habiro} [Geom. Topol. 4, 1-83 (2000; Zbl 0941.57015)] of moves which do not alter the Vassiliev invariants of a knot up to a chosen degree. The effect of Habiro's \(C_n\) move can be readily viewed in terms of the difference of two explicit \((n+1)\)-tangles. This difference can be written as a linear combination of tangles with \(n\) nodes, where a node is itself taken as the difference of a positive and a negative crossing. The fact that a \(C_n\) move does not alter invariants of degree less than \(n\) is then apparent, and its effect on an invariant of degree \(n\) is seen to depend only on the topology of the connections of the arcs outside the local alteration. In this paper the author looks explicitly at the \(C_2\) and \(C_3\) moves and analyses their possible effects on the degree 2 and 3 invariants (which are determined, for example, from the power series expansion of the Jones polynomial). This is done by checking the effect on each of the finitely many different possible external connections outside the region of the move, using the value of the invariant on each chord diagram with 2 or 3 chords. Calculating the values of the invariants on each of the possibilities then determines the difference of the invariants on two knots with this form of external connection which are related by a single move. Further results on the effect of other \(C_n\) moves on Vassiliev invariants are given by \textit{H. A. Miyazawa} [\(C_n\)-moves and polynomial invariants for links, Knot Theory, Toronto July 13-17 1999, 233-252. (Murasugi 70th Birthday volume)] and \textit{Y. Ohyama} and \textit{T. Tsukamoto} [J. Knot Theory Ramifications 8, No. 1, 15-26 (1999; Zbl 0942.57011)].