In this short note we show the existence of an epimorphism between groups of $2$-bridge knots by means of an elementary argument using the Riley polynomial. As a corollary, we give a classification of $2$-bridge knots by Riley polynomials.
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.
For a virtual knot $K$ and an integer $rgeq 0$, the $r$-covering $K^{(r)}$ is defined by using the indices of chords on a Gauss diagram of $K$. In this paper, we prove that for any finite set of virtual knots $J_0,J_2,J_3,dots,J_m$, there is a virtua
l knot $K$ such that $K^{(r)}=J_r$ $(r=0mbox{ and }2leq rleq m)$, $K^{(1)}=K$, and otherwise $K^{(r)}=J_0$.
We study the degree of polynomial representations of knots. We obtain the lexicographic degree for two-bridge torus knots and generalized twist knots. The proof uses the braid theoretical method developed by Orevkov to study real plane curves, combin
ed with previous results from [KP10] and [BKP14]. We also give a sharp lower bound for the lexicographic degree of any knot, using real polynomial curves properties.
We provide a new proof of the following results of H. Schubert: If K is a satellite knot with companion J and pattern L that lies in a solid torus T in which it has index k, then the bridge numbers satisfy the following: 1) The bridge number of K is
greater than or equal to the product of k and the bridge number of J; 2) If K is a composite knot (this is the case k = 1), then the bridge number of K is one less than the sum of the bridge numbers of J and L.