Knot adjacency, genus and essential tori (Q996161)

Two knots are said to be \(n\)-adjacent if there exists a projection of one of them with \(n\) generalized crossings and a fixed set of generalized changes so that a change at any \(0 < m < n+1\) of them yields a projection of a knot isotopic to the other. The authors show that knots \(n\)-adjacent for all \(n\) are isotopic. Since \(n\)-adjacency implies \(n\)-similarity by \textit{Y. Ohyama}, [Topology Appl. 37, No.~3, 249--255 (1990; Zbl 0724.57006)], and \(n\)-similarity implies \(n\)-equivalence by \textit{K. Y. Ng} and \textit{T. Stanford}, [Math. Proc. Cambridge Phil. Soc. 126, No.~1, 63--76 (1999; Zbl 0961.57006)], and by Gusarov, \(n\)-equivalence and equality of finite type invariants of order \(<n\) are the same, the result is evidence for Vassiliev's conjecture that isotopy is implied by equality of finite type invariants for all \(n\). Some of the results are a generalization of \textit{H. Howards} and \textit{J. Luecke} in [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 34, No.~4, 431--437 (2002; Zbl 1027.57004)].