Adequate links in thickened surfaces and the generalized Tait conjectures

DOI10.2140/AGT.2023.23.2271MaRDI QIDQ6167513zbMATH OpenWikidataFDO

Authors Hans U. Boden, Homayun Karimi, Adam S. Sikora

Publication date 7 August 2023

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

Copyright license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/2008.09895

zbMATH Keywords

adequate diagramalternating linkKauffman skein bracketTait conjectures

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Knot theory (57K10) Generalized knots (virtual knots, welded knots, quandles, etc.) (57K12) Knot polynomials (57K14) Invariants of 3-manifolds (including skein modules, character varieties) (57K31)

Abstract: In this paper, we apply Kauffman bracket skein algebras to develop a theory of skein adequate links in thickened surfaces. We show that any alternating link diagram on a surface is skein adequate. We apply our theory to establish the first and second Tait conjectures for adequate links in thickened surfaces. Our notion of skein adequacy is broader and more powerful than the corresponding notions of adequacy previously considered for link diagrams in surfaces. For a link diagram $D$ on a surface $Sigma$ of minimal genus $g(Sigma)$, we show that ${\displaystyle }${ m span}([D]_Sigma) leq 4c(D) + 4 |D|-4g(Sigma),${\displaystyle }$ where $[D{]}_{S}igma$ is its skein bracket, $|D|$ is the number of connected components of $D$, and $c(D)$ is the number of crossings. This extends a classical result of Kauffman, Murasugi, and Thistlethwaite. We further show that the above inequality is an equality if and only if $D$ is weakly alternating. This is a generalization of a well-known result for classical links due to Thistlethwaite. Thus the skein bracket detects the crossing number for weakly alternating links. As an application, we show that the crossing number is additive under connected sum for adequate links in thickened surfaces.

Review text

Let \( D \) be a link diagram on an oriented surface \( \Sigma \). The \textit{\(A\)-smoothing} of \( D \), denoted \( S_A \), is obtained by resolving each crossing into the \(A\) configuration; the \textit{\(B\)-smoothing} \( S_B \) is defined similarly. In particular, \( S_A \) and \( S_B \) are collections of disjoint simple closed curves on \( \Sigma \). This paper introduces the notion of \textit{skein adequacy}. The diagram \( D \) is \textit{\(A\)-adequate} if altering any crossing configuration of \( S_A \) increases the number of contractible simple closed curves or changes the number of non-contracible curves; \textit{\(B\)-adequacy} is defined similarly. The diagram \( D \) is skein adequate if it is both \(A\)-adequate and \(B\)-adequate. This definition subsumes previous notions of adequacy for links in thickened surfaces [\textit{H. U. Boden} and \textit{H. Karimi}, Ann. Inst. Fourier 72, No. 4, 1437--1475 (2022; Zbl 1504.57018); \textit{W. B. R. Lickorish} and \textit{M. B. Thistlethwaite}, Comment. Math. Helv. 63, No. 4, 527--539 (1988; Zbl 0686.57002)]. The main results of the paper include resolutions of analogues of the first and second Tait conjectures for links in thickened surfaces, and a generalization of a result of Kauffman, Murasugi, and Thistlethwaite relating the span of the Jones polynomial to the crossing number [\textit{L. H. Kauffman}, Topology 26, 395--407 (1987; Zbl 0622.57004), \textit{K. Murasugi}, ibid. 26, 187--194 (1987; Zbl 0628.57004) and \textit{M. B. Thistlethwaite}, ibid. 26, 297--309 (1987; Zbl 0622.57003)].

Recommendations

• The Jones-Krushkal polynomial and minimal diagrams of surface links
• The crossing number of alternating link diagrams on a surface
• On the crossing number of semiadequate links
• The Tait conjecture in \(\#_g(S^1 \times S^2)\)
• The Tait conjecture in S^1 S^2

Cites work

• A characterization of alternating links in thickened surfaces
• A simple proof of the Murasugi and Kauffman theorems on alternating links
• A spanning tree expansion of the Jones polynomial
• A survey on the Turaev genus of knots
• A volumish theorem for alternating virtual links
• A volumish theorem for the Jones polynomial of alternating knots
• ABSTRACT LINK DIAGRAMS AND VIRTUAL KNOTS
• ALTERNATING AUGMENTATIONS OF LINKS
• Closed incompressible surfaces in alternating knot and link complements
• Cluster algebras and triangulated surfaces. I: Cluster complexes
• Confluence theory for graphs
• Crossing number of alternating knots in \(S\times I\).
• Geometry of alternating links on surfaces
• Graphs, Links, and Duality on Surfaces
• Guts, volume and skein modules of 3-manifolds
• Homological polynomial coefficients and the twist number of alternating surface links
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4102076 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 733422 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1394933 (Why is no real title available?)
• Hyperbolicity of links in thickened surfaces
• Jones polynomials and classical conjectures in knot theory
• Minimal crossing number implies minimal supporting genus
• Minimal surface representations of virtual knots and links
• Moduli spaces of local systems and higher Teichmüller theory
• On skein algebras and \(Sl_2(\mathbb{C})\)-character varieties
• On the Jones polynomials of checkerboard colorable virtual links
• Parity and projection from virtual knots to classical knots
• Quantum traces for representations of surface groups in SL\(_{2}(\mathbb C)\)
• Rings of \(SL_2(\mathbb{C})\)-characters and the Kauffman bracket skein module
• Skein and cluster algebras of marked surfaces
• Skein quantization of Poisson algebras of loops on surfaces
• Some links with non-trivial polynomials and their crossing-numbers
• STABLE EQUIVALENCE OF KNOTS ON SURFACES AND VIRTUAL KNOT COBORDISMS
• State models and the Jones polynomial
• Stated skein algebras of surfaces
• The A-polynomial from the noncommutative viewpoint
• THE ADDITIVITY OF CROSSING NUMBERS
• The classification of alternating links
• The colored Jones polynomial and the A-polynomial of knots
• The crossing number of composite knots
• The Jones polynomial and graphs on surfaces
• The Jones polynomial of parallels and applications to crossing number
• The Jones-Krushkal polynomial and minimal diagrams of surface links
• The Khovanov homology of alternating virtual links
• The volume of hyperbolic alternating link complements
• Topological quantum field theories derived from the Kauffman bracket
• Turaev hyperbolicity of classical and virtual knots
• Twist number and the alternating volume of knots
• UNDERSTANDING THE KAUFFMAN BRACKET SKEIN MODULE
• Unicity for representations of the Kauffman bracket skein algebra
• What is a virtual link?

Cited in

(7)

• Some links with non-trivial polynomials and their crossing-numbers
• The Jones-Krushkal polynomial and minimal diagrams of surface links
• A Fox-Milnor theorem for knots in a thickened surface
• AN ELEMENTARY PROOF FOR THAT ALL UNORIENTED SPANNING SURFACES OF A LINK ARE RELATED BY ATTACHING/DELETING TUBES AND MÖBIUS BANDS
• A characterization of alternating links in thickened surfaces
• On the classification of periodic weaves and universal cover of links in thickened surfaces
• Mutation, surface graphs, and alternating links in surfaces

This page was built for publication: Adequate links in thickened surfaces and the generalized Tait conjectures

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q6167513)