\(C_n\)-moves and \(V_n\)-equivalence for links (Q981917)

Two oriented knots or links are said to be \(V_n\)-equivalent if they are not distinguished by any Vassiliev invariant of order less than or equal to \(n\). A \(C_n\)-move is a certain local move on oriented knots and links that is intimately related to Vassiliev invariants. \textit{M. N. Goussarov} [``Knotted graphs and a geometrical technique of \(n\)-equivalence'', preprint, circa 1995] and \textit{K. Habiro} [Geom. Topol. 4, 1--83 (2000; Zbl 0941.57015)] independently proved that two oriented knots are \(V_n\)-equivalent if and only if they are related by a finite sequence of \(C_{n+1}\)-moves. Although this characterization of \(V_n\)-equivalence holds for links when \(n=1\), it does not hold in general. (If two links are related by \(C_{n+1}\)-moves they are \(V_n\)-equivalent, although the converse does not necessarily hold.) This paper provides an extension of Goussarov and Habiro's characterization of \(V_n\)-equivalence to links for the cases \(n=2\) and \(n=3\). To do this, the author introduces a special type of \(C_n\)-move, called a \(SC_n\)-move, which takes into account the components of the link on which the move acts. For the \(n=2\) case, the author shows that two oriented links are \(V_2\)-equivalent if and only if they are related by \(C_3\)-moves and \(SC_2\)-moves. For the \(n=3\) case, the author restricts to \(2\)-component links and shows that two \(2\)-component oriented links are \(V_3\)-equivalent if and only if they are related by \(C_4\)-moves and \(SC_3\)-moves. (For the \(n=3\) case, it is worth noting that J.-B. Meilhan and A. Yasuhara have shown that the \(SC_3\)-move is generated by \(C_4\)-moves.)