arXiv subjects

Benjamin Audoux

Publications and source records attributed to Benjamin Audoux.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Combinatorial link concordance using cut-diagrams

Cut-diagrams are diagrammatic objects, defined in dimensions 1 and 2, that generalize links in 3-space and surface-links in 4-space; in dimension 1, this coincides with the theory of welded links. Using cut-diagrams, we introduce an equivalence relation called cut-concordance, which encompasses the topological notion of concordance for classical links. Our main result is that the nilpotent peripheral system of 1-dimensional cut-diagrams is an invariant of cut-concordance, giving along the way a combinatorial version of a theorem of Stallings. We also investigate the relationship with several other equivalence relations in diagrammatic knot theory, in particular in connection with link-homotopy.

math.GT↗

arXiv2023

Higher order Kirk invariants of link maps

We define numerical link-homotopy invariants of link maps of any number of components, which naturally generalize the Kirk invariant. The Kirk invariant is a link-homotopy invariant of 2-component link maps given by linking numbers of loops based at self-singularities of each component with the other spherical component; our invariants use instead ingredients from Milnor's higher order link invariants, and are extracted from the reduced fundamental groups of the exterior. We provide practical algorithms to compute these invariants from an appropriate cross-section, as well as families of examples that are therewith detected. The main proofs use the combinatorial theory of cut-diagrams previously developed by the authors.

math.GT↗

arXiv2023

Welded graphs, Wirtinger groups and knotted punctured spheres

We develop a general diagrammatic theory of welded graphs, and provide an extension of Satoh's Tube map from welded graphs to ribbon surface-links. As a topological application, we obtain a complete link-homotopy classification of so-called knotted punctured spheres in $4$-space, by means of the $4$-dimensional Milnor invariants introduced previously by the authors. On the algebraic side, we show that the theory of welded graphs can be reinterpreted as a theory of Wirtinger group presentations, up to a natural set of transformations; these groups arise as the fundamental group of the exterior of the surface-link obtained from the given welded graph by the extended Tube map. Finally, we address the injectivity question for the Tube map, identifying a new family of local moves on welded links, called $\Upsilon$ moves, under which the (non extended) Tube map is invariant.

math.GT↗

arXiv2022

A universal finite type invariant of knots in homology 3-spheres

An essential goal in the study of finite type invariants of some objects (knots, manifolds) is the construction of a universal finite type invariant, universal in the sense that it contains all finite type invariants of the given objects. Such a universal finite type invariant is known for knots in the 3-sphere -- the Kontsevich integral -- and for homology 3-spheres -- the Le-Murakami-Ohtsuki invariant. For knots in homology 3-spheres, an invariant constructed by Garoufalidis and Kricker as a lift of the Kontsevich integral has been considered for the last two decades as the best candidate to be a universal finite type invariant. Although this invariant is eventually universal in restriction to knots whose Alexander polynomial is trivial, we prove here that it is not powerful enough in general. For that we provide a refinement of its construction which produces a strictly stronger invariant, and we prove that this new invariant is a universal finite type invariant of knots in homology 3-spheres. This provides a full diagrammatic description of the graded space of finite type invariants of knots in homology 3-spheres.

math.GT↗

arXiv2022

k-reduced groups and Milnor invariants

We characterize, in an algebraic and in a diagrammatic way, Milnor string link invariants indexed by sequences where any index appears at most $k$ times, for any fixed $k\ge 1$. The algebraic characterization is given in terms of an Artin-like action on the so-called $k$-reduced free groups; the diagrammatic characterization uses the langage of welded knot theory. The link case is also addressed.

math.GT↗

arXiv2021

Milnor-type invariants for surface-links and cut-diagrams

We generalize Milnor link invariants to surface-links in 4-space, possibly with boundary. To this end, we introduce the notion of cut-diagram, which is a 2-dimensional analogue of Gauss diagrams. To each cut-diagram, we associate a group extending the fundamental group of the exterior of a surface-link, and we extract Milnor-type invariants from its successive nilpotent quotients. We show that this yields concordance invariants for surface-links, and that some even are link-homotopy invariants. We give several concrete applications, including realization and classification results. The theory of cut-diagrams is further investigated, heading towards a combinatorial approach to surfaces in 4-space.

math.GT↗

arXiv2019

Characterization of the reduced peripheral system of links

The reduced peripheral system was introduced by Milnor in the fifties for the study of links up to link-homotopy, i.e. up to isotopies and crossing changes within each link component. However, for four or more components, this invariant does not yield a complete link-homotopy invariant. This paper provides two characterizations of links having the same reduced peripheral system: a diagrammatical one, in terms of link diagrams, seen as welded diagrams up to self-virtualization, and a topological one, in terms of ribbon solid tori in 4--space up to ribbon link-homotopy.

math.GT↗

arXiv2017

Toward universality in degree 2 of the Kricker lift of the Kontsevich integral and the Lescop equivariant invariant

In the setting of finite type invariants for null-homologous knots in rational homology 3-spheres with respect to null Lagrangian-preserving surgeries, there are two candidates to be universal invariants, defined respectively by Kricker and Lescop. In a previous paper, the second author defined maps between spaces of Jacobi diagrams. Injectivity for these maps would imply that Kricker and Lescop invariants are indeed universal invariants; this would prove in particular that these two invariants are equivalent. In the present paper, we investigate the injectivity status of these maps for degree 2 invariants, in the case of knots whose Blanchfield modules are direct sums of isomorphic Blanchfield modules of Q-dimension two. We prove that they are always injective except in one case, for which we determine explicitly the kernel.

math.GT↗

arXiv2017

On multiplicity of eigenvalues and symmetry of eigenfunctions of the $p$-Laplacian

We investigate multiplicity and symmetry properties of higher eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the $p$-Laplacian under homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions on certain symmetric domains $\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^N$. By means of topological arguments, we show how symmetries of $\Omega$ help to construct subsets of $W_0^{1,p}(\Omega)$ with suitably high Krasnosel'ski\u{\i} genus. In particular, if $\Omega$ is a ball $B \subset \mathbb{R}^N$, we obtain the following chain of inequalities: $$ \lambda_2(p;B) \leq \dots \leq \lambda_{N+1}(p;B) \leq \lambda_\ominus(p;B). $$ Here $\lambda_i(p;B)$ are variational eigenvalues of the $p$-Laplacian on $B$, and $\lambda_\ominus(p;B)$ is the eigenvalue which has an associated eigenfunction whose nodal set is an equatorial section of $B$. If $\lambda_2(p;B)=\lambda_\ominus(p;B)$, as it holds true for $p=2$, the result implies that the multiplicity of the second eigenvalue is at least $N$. In the case $N=2$, we can deduce that any third eigenfunction of the $p$-Laplacian on a disc is nonradial. The case of other symmetric domains and the limit cases $p=1$, $p=\infty$ are also considered.

math.AP↗

arXiv2017

On codimension two embeddings up to link-homotopy

We consider knotted annuli in 4-space, called 2-string-links, which are knotted surfaces in codimension two that are naturally related, via closure operations, to both 2-links and 2-torus links. We classify 2-string-links up to link-homotopy by means of a 4-dimensional version of Milnor invariants. The key to our proof is that any 2-string link is link-homotopic to a ribbon one; this allows to use the homotopy classification obtained in the ribbon case by P. Bellingeri and the authors. Along the way, we give a Roseman-type result for immersed surfaces in 4-space. We also discuss the case of ribbon k-string links, for $k\geq 3$.

math.GT↗

arXiv2017

On hyperbolic knots in S^3 with exceptional surgeries at maximal distance

Baker showed that 10 of the 12 classes of Berge knots are obtained by surgery on the minimally twisted 5-chain link. In this article we enumerate all hyperbolic knots in S^3 obtained by surgery on the minimally twisted 5 chain link that realize the maximal known distances between slopes corresponding to exceptional (lens, lens), (lens, toroidal), (lens, Seifert fibred spaces) pairs. In light of Baker's work, the classification in this paper conjecturally accounts for 'most' hyperbolic knots in S^3 realizing the maximal distance between these exceptional pairs. All examples obtained in our classification are realized by filling the magic manifold. The classification highlights additional examples not mentioned in Martelli and Petronio's survey of the exceptional fillings on the magic manifold. Of particular interest, is an example of a knot with two lens space surgeries that is not obtained by filling the Berge manifold.

math.GT↗

arXiv2015

On tensor products of CSS Codes

CSS codes are in one-to-one correspondance with length 3 chain complexes. The latter are naturally endowed with a tensor product $\otimes$ which induces a similar operation on the former. We investigate this operation, and in particular its behavior with regard to minimum distances. Given a CSS code $\mathcal{C}$, we give a criterion which provides a lower bound on the minimum distance of $\mathcal{C} \otimes \mathcal{D}$ for every CSS code $\mathcal D$. We apply this result to study the behaviour of iterated tensor powers of codes. Such sequences of codes are logarithmically LDPC and we prove in particular that their minimum distances tend generically to infinity. Different known results are reinterpretated in terms of tensor products. Three new families of CSS codes are defined, and their iterated tensor powers produce LDPC sequences of codes with length $n$, row weight in $O(\log n)$ and minimum distances larger than $n^{\frac{\alpha}{2}}$ for any $\alpha<1$. One family produces sequences with dimensions larger than $n^\beta$ for any $\beta<1$.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2015

Extensions of some classical local moves on knot diagrams

In the present paper, we consider local moves on classical and welded diagrams: (self-)crossing change, (self-)virtualization, virtual conjugation, Delta, fused, band-pass and welded band-pass moves. Interrelationship between these moves is discussed and, for each of these move, we provide an algebraic classification. We address the question of relevant welded extensions for classical moves in the sense that the classical quotient of classical object embeds into the welded quotient of welded objects. As a by-product, we obtain that all of the above local moves are unknotting operations for welded (long) knots. We also mention some topological interpretations for these combinatorial quotients.

math.GT↗

arXiv2015

On Usual, Virtual and Welded knotted objects up to homotopy

We consider several classes of knotted objects, namely usual, virtual and welded pure braids and string links, and two equivalence relations on those objects, induced by either self-crossing changes or self-virtualizations. We provide a number of results which point out the differences between these various notions. The proofs are mainly based on the techniques of Gauss diagram formulae.

math.GT↗

arXiv2014

On the welded Tube map

This note investigates the so-called Tube map which connects welded knots, that is a quotient of the virtual knot theory, to ribbon torus-knots, that is a restricted notion of fillable knotted tori in the 4-sphere. It emphasizes the fact that ribbon torus-knots with a given filling are in one-to-one correspondence with welded knots before quotient under classical Reidemeister moves and reformulates these moves and the known sources of non-injectivity of the Tube map in terms of filling changes.

math.GT↗

arXiv2014

Homotopy classification of ribbon tubes and welded string links

Ribbon 2-knotted objects are locally flat embeddings of surfaces in 4-space which bound immersed 3-manifolds with only ribbon singularities. They appear as topological realizations of welded knotted objects, which is a natural quotient of virtual knot theory. In this paper we consider ribbon tubes and ribbon torus-links, which are natural analogues of string links and links, respectively. We show how ribbon tubes naturally act on the reduced free group, and how this action classifies ribbon tubes up to link-homotopy, that is when allowing each component to cross itself. At the combinatorial level, this provides a classification of welded string links up to self-virtualization. This generalizes a result of Habegger and Lin on usual string links, and the above-mentioned action on the reduced free group can be refined to a general "virtual extension" of Milnor invariants. As an application, we obtain a classification of ribbon torus-links up to link-homotopy.

math.GT↗

arXiv2013

An application of Khovanov homology to quantum codes

We use Khovanov homology to define families of LDPC quantum error-correcting codes: unknot codes with asymptotical parameters [[3^(2l+1)/sqrt(8{\pi}l);1;2^l]]; unlink codes with asymptotical parameters [[sqrt(2/2{\pi}l)6^l;2^l;2^l]] and (2,l)-torus link codes with asymptotical parameters [[n;1;d_n]] where d_n>\sqrt(n)/1.62.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2008

Khovanov homology and star-like isotopies

A star-like isotopy for oriented links in 3-space is an isotopy which uses only Reidemeister II moves with opposite orientations and Reidemeister III moves with alternating orientations when checking the strands clockwise (or anticlockwise). We define a link polynomial derived from the Jones polynomial which is, in general, only invariant under star-like isotopies and we categorify it.

math.GT↗