No Arabic abstract
We give a new interpretation of the Alexander polynomial $Delta_0$ for virtual knots due to Sawollek and Silver and Williams, and use it to show that, for any virtual knot, $Delta_0$ determines the writhe polynomial of Cheng and Gao (equivalently, Kauffmans affine index polynomial). We also use it to define a second-order writhe polynomial, and give some applications.
The writhe polynomial is a fundamental invariant of an oriented virtual knot. We introduce a kind of local moves for oriented virtual knots called shell moves. The first aim of this paper is to prove that two oriented virtual knots have the same writhe polynomial if and only if they are related by a finite sequence of shell moves. The second aim of this paper is to classify oriented $2$-component virtual links up to shell moves by using several invariants of virtual links.
We define a family of virtual knots generalizing the classical twist knots. We develop a recursive formula for the Alexander polynomial $Delta_0$ (as defined by Silver and Williams) of these virtual twist knots. These results are applied to provide evidence for a conjecture that the odd writhe of a virtual knot can be obtained from $Delta_0$.
In this paper we show that the twisted Alexander polynomial associated to a parabolic representation determines fiberedness and genus of a wide class of 2-bridge knots. As a corollary we give an affirmative answer to a conjecture of Dunfield, Friedl and Jackson for infinitely many hyperbolic knots.
Let $H(p)$ be the set of 2-bridge knots $K$ whose group $G$ is mapped onto a non-trivial free product, $Z/2 * Z/p$, $p$ being odd. Then there is an algebraic integer $s_0$ such that for any $K$ in $H(p)$, $G$ has a parabolic representation $rho$ into $SL(2, Z[s_0]) subset SL(2,C)$. Let $Delta(t)$ be the twisted Alexander polynomial associated to $rho$. Then we prove that for any $K$ in $H(p)$, $Delta(1)=-2s_0^{-1}$ and $Delta(-1)=-2s_0^{-1}mu^2$, where $s_0^{-1}, mu in Z[s_0]$. The number $mu$ can be recursively evaluated.
Study of certain isotopy classes of a finite collection of immersed circles without triple or higher intersections on closed oriented surfaces can be thought of as a planar analogue of virtual knot theory where the genus zero case corresponds to classical knot theory. Alexander and Markov theorems for the genus zero case are known where the role of groups is played by twin groups, a class of right angled Coxeter groups with only far commutativity relations. The purpose of this paper is to prove Alexander and Markov theorems for higher genus case where the role of groups is played by a new class of groups called virtual twin groups which extends twin groups in a natural way.