Doubly slice knots with low crossing number (Q887801)

The authors extend the classification of doubly slice knots (cross-sections of the unknotted \(S^2\) in \(S^4\)) from 9 to 12 crossings, save for four of the 2977 prime examples: \(11_{n34}\), \(11_{n73}\), \(12_{a1019}\) and \(12_{a1202}\). They explicitly illustrate ``the double slicing for each of the 20 knots shown to be smoothly doubly slice'', noting that ``the Conway knot \(11_{34}\) is topologically (locally flat) doubly slice ... but it is unknown whether it can be smoothly sliced or double sliced'' while the three other knots through 12 crossings with trivial Alexander polynomial (depicted in Figure 2) are smoothly superslice. The techniques of their analysis include ``considerations of the Alexander module and signature functions as well as calculations of the twisted Alexander polynomial for higher-order branched covers.'' They also introduce ``double slice genus'' relating knots in the 3-sphere to surfaces in the 4-sphere. Prior results in the field are thoroughly explained and traced back to a question posed by Fox in [\textit{M. K. Fort jun.} (ed.), Topology of 3-manifolds and related topics. Proceedings of the University of Georgia Institute 1961. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc. (1962; Zbl 0132.20102)].