On Legendrian graphs

DOI10.2140/AGT.2012.12.1273MaRDI QIDQ441075zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Danielle O'Donnol, Elena Pavelescu

Publication date 20 August 2012

Published in Algebraic \& Geometric Topology (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1108.2281

zbMATH Keywords

Legendrian graphsLegendrian knotsrotation numberspatial graphstandard contact structureThurston-Bennequin numbertrivial unknot

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Abstract: We investigate Legendrian graphs in $(R^3,x{i}_{std})$. We extend the classical invariants, Thurston-Bennequin number and rotation number to Legendrian graphs. We prove that a graph can be Legendrian realized with all its cycles Legendrian unknots with $tb=-1$ and $rot=0$ if and only if it does not contain $K_4$ as a minor. We show that the pair $(tb,rot)$ does not characterize a Legendrian graph up to Legendrian isotopy if the graph contains a cut edge or a cut vertex. For the lollipop graph the pair $(tb,rot)$ determines two Legendrian classes and for the handcuff graph it determines four Legendrian classes.

Review text

Let \(\xi_{std}\) denote the standard contact structure in \({\mathbb R}^3\). A Legendrian graph in \(({\mathbb R}^3,\xi_{std})\) is a graph embedded in \({\mathbb R}^3\) in such a way that all its edges are Legendrian curves that are nontangent to each other at the vertices. Legendrian graphs were used in [\textit{Y. Eliashberg} and \textit{M. Fraser}, J. Symplectic Geom. 7, No. 2, 77--127 (2009; Zbl 1179.57040)] to prove that in the tight contact structure the unknot is determined up to Legendrian isotopy by two invariants only. The authors of the paper under review study Legendrian graphs in a systematic way and extend some results on Legendrian knots to Legendrian graphs.NEWLINENEWLINEFirst, the authors address the question of existence of Legendrian embeddings of spatial graphs in \(({\mathbb R}^3,\xi_{std})\) and give a positive answer to it. Moreover the authors extend some classical invariants of Legendrian knots, such as the Thurston-Bennequin number (tb) and the rotation number (rot), to Legendrian graphs.NEWLINENEWLINELet the trivial unknot be the one unknot that attains the maximal Thurston-Bennequin number in its topological class. It was known before [\textit{J. B. Etnyre} and \textit{K. Honda}, ibid. 1, No. 1, 63--120 (2001; Zbl 1037.57021)] that some links cannot be represented by Legendrian links of trivial unknots. In the given paper, the authors characterize the graphs that admit a Legendrian embedding in \(({\mathbb R}^3,\xi_{std})\) with all their cycles being trivial unknots (Theorem 1.2).NEWLINENEWLINEThe authors also address the question of which types of spatial graphs are classified up to Legendrian isotopy by the pair (tb, rot) and give a partial answer to it in purely combinatorial terms (Theorem 1.4). It follows that even for uncomplicated graphs the pair (tb, rot) of invariants is not sufficient to classify spatial graphs up to Legendrian isotopy. Some examples of topological planar graphs illustrating this fact are presented.

Recommendations

• Planar Legendrian graphs
• The Total Thurston–Bennequin Number of Complete and Complete Bipartite Legendrian Graphs
• Legendrian -graphs
• On the maximal Thurston-Bennequin number of knots and links in spatial graphs
• Rectangular diagrams of Legendrian graphs

Cites work

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• Legendrian links of topological unknots
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Cited in

(17)

• Augmentations and ruling polynomials for Legendrian graphs
• Ruling invariants for Legendrian graphs
• Planar Legendrian graphs
• Legendrian weaves: N-graph calculus, flag moduli and applications
• The Total Thurston–Bennequin Number of Complete and Complete Bipartite Legendrian Graphs
• Legendrian -graphs
• On the maximal Thurston-Bennequin number of knots and links in spatial graphs
• Rectangular diagrams of surfaces: distinguishing Legendrian knots
• Crossing numbers and rotation numbers of cycles in a plane immersed graph
• Rectangular diagrams of Legendrian graphs
• Rectangular diagrams of surfaces: representability
• CONTACT SURGERY GRAPHS
• Planar Legendrian Θ ${\rm{\Theta }}$‐graphs
• Upper bounds for the Lagrangian cobordism relation on Legendrian links
• Legendrian Lavrentiev links
• Instability of Legendrian knottedness, and non-regular Lagrangian concordances of knots
• Legendrian graphs and quasipositive diagrams

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