Grid diagrams and the Ozsváth-Szabó tau-invariant

DOI10.4310/MRL.2011.V18.N6.A13MaRDI QIDQ2391572zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors Sucharit Sarkar

Publication date 5 August 2013

Published in Mathematical Research Letters (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1011.5265

zbMATH Keywords

grid diagramKnot cobordismMilnor conjectureOzsváth-Szabó invariant

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Abstract: We use grid diagrams to investigate the Ozsvath-Szabo concordance invariant tau, and to prove that |tau(K_1)-tau(K_2)|<=g, whenever there is a genus g knot cobordism joining K_1 to K_2. This leads to an entirely grid diagram-based proof of Kronheimer-Mrowka's theorem, formerly known as the Milnor conjecture.

Review text

Milnor's conjecture that the slice genus and unknotting number of the \(T_{p,q}\) torus knot are equal to \((p-1)(q-1)/2\) was first proved by \textit{P. B. Kronheimer} and \textit{T. S. Mrowka} [Topology 32, No. 4, 773--826 (1993; Zbl 0799.57007)] using instanton gauge theory. New proofs were given by \textit{P. Ozsváth} and \textit{Z. Szabó}, using their \(\tau\)-invariant from knot Floer homology [Geom. Topol. 7, 615--639 (2003; Zbl 1037.57027)], and by \textit{J. Rasmussen} using Khovanov homology [Invent. Math. 182, No. 2, 419--447 (2010; Zbl 1211.57009)]. Grid diagrams are special Heegaard diagrams adapted to a link in the three-sphere. Using such a diagram gives rise to a completely combinatorial description of the knot Floer homology of a link, as shown by \textit{C. Manolescu} et al. [Ann. Math. (2) 169, No. 2, 633--660 (2009; Zbl 1179.57022)], following an earlier idea of Sarkar and Wang. One can use grid diagrams to define the \(\tau\)-invariant of a knot. Here Sarkar gives a proof based on the combinatorics of grid diagrams that the \(\tau\)-invariant gives a lower bound for the slice genus and hence a new proof of the Milnor conjecture.

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Cited in

(23)

• The concordance invariant tau in link grid homology
• Bordered knot algebras with matchings
• The unknotting number and classical invariants. I
• Heegaard Floer homology of spatial graphs
• Link cobordisms and absolute gradings on link Floer homology
• Cobordisms of sutured manifolds and the functoriality of link Floer homology
• Semigroups, d-invariants and deformations of cuspidal singular points of plane curves
• Grid movies
• Grid Diagrams, Braids, and Contact Geometry
• On concordances in 3-manifolds
• Invariants of annular links, cobordisms and transverse links from combinatorial link Floer complex
• Tau invariants for balanced spatial graphs
• An overview of knot Floer homology
• The knot invariant using grid homologies
• Khovanov homology and the slice genus
• The \(\nu^+\)-equivalence classes of genus one knots
• Concordance invariant Υ for balanced spatial graphs using grid homology
• Obstruction complexes in grid homology
• Locally equivalent Floer complexes and unoriented link cobordisms
• Diagonal knots and the tau invariant
• Crossing change maps in filtered grid homology
• Grid homology for spatial graphs and a Künneth formula of connected sums
• A combinatorial proof of invariance of double-point enhanced grid homology

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