Detection of knots and a cabling formula for \(A\)-polynomials (Q507047)

It is known that knot Floer homology can detect the unknot, the trefoil knot and the figure eight knot. However, it is not strong enough to detect torus knots. For example, the torus knot of type \((3,4)\) has the same knot Floer homology as the \((2,3)\)-cable of the trefoil knot. The \(A\)-polynomial can also detect the unknot, but cannot distinguish the torus knots of type \((7,15)\) and \((3,35)\). The main result of the present paper under review is to show that the combination of these two knot invariants is enough to detect any torus knot. More precisely, if a knot \(K\) has the same knot Floer homology and the same \(A\)-polynomial as a torus knot \(T(p,q)\) of type \((p,q)\), then \(K\) is equivalent to \(T(p,q)\). (We remark that the \(A\)-polynomial can distinguish \(T(p,q)\) and its mirror image.) If \(K\) has the same knot Floer homology as \(T(p,q)\), then \(K\) is fibered, has the same Alexander polynomial and genus as \(T(p,q)\). Combining this with the assumption on the \(A\)-polynomial gives the proof. In the argument, a cabling formula for the \(A\)-polynomial of a cabled knot over a nontrivial knot is obtained. The second result is to give an infinite family of hyperbolic knots, each of which can be detected by the combination of knot Floer homology and the \(A\)-polynomial. The family is a subfamily of Eudave-Muñoz knots introduced by \textit{M. Eudave-Muñoz} [AMS/IP Stud. Adv. Math. 2, 35--61 (1997; Zbl 0889.57023)]. These knots are known to be the only hyperbolic knots that admit non-integral toroidal surgery.