Adequate links in thickened surfaces and the generalized Tait conjectures (Q6167513)

Let \( D \) be a link diagram on an oriented surface \( \Sigma \). The \textit{\(A\)-smoothing} of \( D \), denoted \( S_A \), is obtained by resolving each crossing into the \(A\) configuration; the \textit{\(B\)-smoothing} \( S_B \) is defined similarly. In particular, \( S_A \) and \( S_B \) are collections of disjoint simple closed curves on \( \Sigma \). This paper introduces the notion of \textit{skein adequacy}. The diagram \( D \) is \textit{\(A\)-adequate} if altering any crossing configuration of \( S_A \) increases the number of contractible simple closed curves or changes the number of non-contracible curves; \textit{\(B\)-adequacy} is defined similarly. The diagram \( D \) is skein adequate if it is both \(A\)-adequate and \(B\)-adequate. This definition subsumes previous notions of adequacy for links in thickened surfaces [\textit{H. U. Boden} and \textit{H. Karimi}, Ann. Inst. Fourier 72, No. 4, 1437--1475 (2022; Zbl 1504.57018); \textit{W. B. R. Lickorish} and \textit{M. B. Thistlethwaite}, Comment. Math. Helv. 63, No. 4, 527--539 (1988; Zbl 0686.57002)]. The main results of the paper include resolutions of analogues of the first and second Tait conjectures for links in thickened surfaces, and a generalization of a result of Kauffman, Murasugi, and Thistlethwaite relating the span of the Jones polynomial to the crossing number [\textit{L. H. Kauffman}, Topology 26, 395--407 (1987; Zbl 0622.57004), \textit{K. Murasugi}, ibid. 26, 187--194 (1987; Zbl 0628.57004) and \textit{M. B. Thistlethwaite}, ibid. 26, 297--309 (1987; Zbl 0622.57003)].