A criterion for double sliceness

Abstract

We describe a condition involving noncommutative Alexander modules which ensures that a knot with Alexander module $\mathbb{Z}[t^{\pm 1}]/(t-2) \oplus \mathbb{Z}[t^{\pm 1}]/(t^{-1}- 2)$ is topologically doubly slice. As an application, we show that a satellite knot $R_\eta(K)$ is doubly slice if the pattern $R$ has Alexander module $\mathbb{Z}[t^{\pm 1}]/(t- 2) \oplus \mathbb{Z}[t^{\pm 1}]/(t^{-1}- 2)$ and satisfies this condition, and if the infection curve $\eta \subset S^3 \setminus R$ lies in the second derived subgroup $\pi_1(S^3 \setminus R)^{(2)}.$