As an extension of classical knot theory, virtual knot theory studies the embeddings of one sphere in thickened surfaces up to stable equivalence. Roughly speaking, there are two kinds of virtual knot invariants, the first kind comes from knot invariants of classical knots but the second kind usually vanishes on classical knots. Most of the second kind of virtual knot invariants are defined by using the chord parity or chord index. In this talk, I will report some recent progress on virtual knot invariants derived from various chord indices.
H. A. Dye (Mckendree U) and A. Kaestner (North Park U)
In the paper, Virtual parity Alexander polynomials, we defined a virtual knot group that used information about the parity of the classical crossings. This virtual knot group was defined using ad-hoc methods. In the paper, Virtual knot groups and almost classical knots, Boden et al describe several different knot groups obtained from virtual knots. These knot groups are related and specializations lead to the classical knot group. Here, we construct a formal structure for virtual knot groups and examine specializations and extensions of the groups.
Lou Kauffman (University of Illinois-Chicago & Novosibirsk State University)
This talk discusses virtual knot theory and rotational virtual knot theory. In virtual knot theory we introduce a virtual crossing in the diagrams along with over crossings and under crossings. Virtual crossings are artifacts of representing knots in higher genus surfaces as diagrams in the plane.
Virtual diagrammatic equivalence is the same as studying knots in thickened surfaces up to ambient isotopy, surface homeomorphisms and handle stabilization. At the diagrammatic level, virtual knot equivalence is generated by Reidemeister moves plus detour moves. In rotational virtual knot theory, the detour moves are restricted to regular homotopy of plane curves (the self-crossings are virtual). Rotational virtual knot theory has the property that all classical quantum link invariants extend to quantum invariants of rotational virtual knots and links. We explain this extension, and we consider the question of the power of quantum invariants in this context.
By considering first the bracket polynomial and its extension to a parity bracket polynomial for virtual knots (Manturov) and its further extension to a rotational parity bracket polynomial for knots and links (Kaestner and Kauffman), we give examples of links that are detected via the parity invariants that are not detectable by quantum invariants. In the course of the discussion we explain a functor from the rotational tangle category to the diagrammatic category of a quantum algebra. We delineate significant weaknesses in quantum invariants and how these gaps can be fulfilled by taking parity into account.
