arXiv subjects

Kyungbae Park

Publications and source records attributed to Kyungbae Park.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The Algebraic Montgomery-Yang Problem

We completely resolve the algebraic Montgomery - Yang problem, a conjecture of Kollar stating that every rational homology projective plane with quotient singularities and a simply-connected smooth locus has at most three singular points. The crux of our proof is a new lattice theoretic constraint, obtained by combining Donaldson's diagonalization theorem with the distinguished spin^c structure on the smooth locus whose determinant line bundle is the canonical bundle. Together with the orbifold Bogomolov - Miyaoka - Yau inequality, this constraint rules out all remaining cases in the problem and completes the proof.

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arXiv2026

Infinite families of non-fibered twisted torus knots

We present explicit infinite families of twisted torus knots that are not fibered. Our approach relies on an explicit formula for the Alexander polynomial derived in our previous work. We show that the leading coefficients of the Alexander polynomials of twisted torus knots can take arbitrary integer values, which immediately yields infinitely many examples of non-fibered twisted torus knots.

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arXiv2025

On the Alexander polynomials of modular knots

Closed geodesics associated with indefinite binary quadratic forms, or equivalently with real quadratic irrationals, have long been studied as geometric $\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb{Z})$-invariants. Building on the Birman-Williams approach to Lorenz knots and following the notion of modular knots introduced by Ghys, this article investigates the topological $\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb{Z})$-invariants arising from modular knots. Our main focus is the Alexander polynomial of modular knots. Using the Burau representation, we highlight two contrasting features of this family. On the one hand, for each fixed degree, only finitely many Alexander polynomials of modular knots occur. On the other hand, any integer appears as a coefficient of the Alexander polynomial of some modular knot, and coefficients of the same sign can occur in runs of arbitrarily long length.

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arXiv2025

On the number of components of twisted torus links

Twisted torus links $T(p,q;r,s)$ generalize torus links by introducing $s$ additional twists on $r$ adjacent strands of the torus link $T(p,q)$. It is well known that the number of components of a torus link $T(p, q)$ is given by the greatest common divisor of $p$ and $q$. However, determining the number of components of twisted torus links is not as straightforward based solely on their parameters. In this work, we present a Euclidean algorithm-like procedure for computing the number of components of twisted torus links based on their parameters. As a result, we show that the number of components of a twisted torus link $T(p, q; r, s)$ is a multiple of $\gcd(p, q, r, s)$, and in particular, $T(p, q; r, s)$ is a knot only if $\gcd(p, q, r, s) = 1$. We also use our algorithm to prove several conjectures related to the number of components in twisted torus links.

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arXiv2025

The Alexander polynomial of twisted torus knots

Twisted torus knots are a generalization of torus knots, obtained by introducing additional full twists to adjacent strands of the torus knots. In this article, we present an explicit formula for the Alexander polynomial of twisted torus knots. Our approach utilizes a presentation of the knot group of twisted torus knots combined with Fox's free differential calculus. As applications, we provide a lower bound for the genus of certain families of twisted torus knots and identify families of twisted torus knots that are not $L$-space knots.

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arXiv2024

On rational homology projective planes with quotient singularities of small indices

In this article, we study the effects of topological and smooth obstructions on the existence of rational homology complex projective planes that admit quotient singularities of small indices. In particular, we provide a classification of the types of quotient singularities that can be realized on rational homology complex projective planes with indices up to three, whose smooth loci have trivial first integral homology group.

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arXiv2024

On lens spaces bounding smooth 4-manifolds with $\boldsymbol{b_2=1}$

We study which lens spaces can bound smooth 4-manifolds with second Betti number one under various topological conditions. Specifically, we show that there are infinite families of lens spaces that bound compact, simply-connected, smooth 4-manifolds with second Betti number one, yet cannot bound a 4-manifold consisting of a single 0-handle and 2-handle. Additionally, we establish the existence of infinite families of lens spaces that bound compact, smooth 4-manifolds with first Betti number zero and second Betti number one, but cannot bound simply-connected 4-manifolds with second Betti number one. The construction of such 4-manifolds with lens space boundaries is motivated by the study of rational homology projective planes with cyclic quotient singularities.

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arXiv2024

Algebraic Montgomery-Yang problem and smooth obstructions

Let $S$ be a rational homology complex projective plane with quotient singularities. The algebraic Montgomery-Yang problem conjectures that the number of singular points of $S$ is at most three if its smooth locus is simply-connected. In this paper, we leverage results from the study of smooth 4-manifolds, including the Donaldson diagonalization theorem and Heegaard Floer correction terms, to establish additional conditions for $S$. As a result, we eliminate the possibility of a rational homology complex projective plane of specific types with four singularities. Moreover, we identify large families encompassing infinitely many types of singularities that satisfy the orbifold BMY inequality, a key property in algebraic geometry, yet are obstructed from being a rational homology complex projective plane due to smooth conditions. Additionally, we discuss computational results related to this problem, offering new insights into the algebraic Montgomery-Yang problem.

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arXiv2019

Spherical 3-manifolds bounding rational homology balls

We give a complete classification of the spherical 3-manifolds that bound smooth rational homology 4-balls. Furthermore, we determine the order of spherical 3-manifolds in the rational homology cobordism group of rational homology 3-spheres. To this end, we use constraints for 3-manifolds to bound rational homology balls induced from Donaldson's diagonalization theorem and Heegaard Floer correction terms.

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arXiv2019

Irreducible 3-manifolds that cannot be obtained by 0-surgery on a knot

We give two infinite families of examples of closed, orientable, irreducible 3-manifolds $M$ such that $b_1(M)=1$ and $π_1(M)$ has weight 1, but $M$ is not the result of Dehn surgery along a knot in the 3-sphere. This answers a question of Aschenbrenner, Friedl and Wilton, and provides the first examples of irreducible manifolds with $b_1=1$ that are known not to be surgery on a knot in the 3-sphere. One family consists of Seifert fibered 3-manifolds, while each member of the other family is not even homology cobordant to any Seifert fibered 3-manifold. None of our examples are homology cobordant to any manifold obtained by Dehn surgery along a knot in the 3-sphere.

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arXiv2018

On intersection forms of definite 4-manifolds bounded by a rational homology 3-sphere

We show that, if a rational homology 3-sphere $Y$ bounds a positive definite smooth 4-manifold, then there are finitely many negative definite lattices, up to the stable-equivalence, which can be realized as the intersection form of a smooth 4-manifold bounded by $Y$. To this end, we make use of constraints on definite forms bounded by $Y$ induced from Donaldson's diagonalization theorem, and correction term invariants due to Frøyshov, and Ozsváth and Szabó. In particular, we prove that all spherical 3-manifolds satisfy such finiteness property.

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arXiv2018

On independence of iterated Whitehead doubles in the knot concordance group

Let $D(K)$ be the positively-clasped untwisted Whitehead double of a knot $K$, and $T_{p,q}$ be the $(p,q)$ torus knot. We show that $D(T_{2,2m+1})$ and $D^2(T_{2,2m+1})$ are linearly independent in the smooth knot concordance group $\mathcal{C}$ for each $m\geq 2$. Further, $D(T_{2,5})$ and $D^2(T_{2,5})$ generate a $\mathbb{Z}\oplus\mathbb{Z}$ summand in the subgroup of $\mathcal{C}$ generated by topologically slice knots. We use the concordance invariant $δ$ of Manolescu and Owens, using Heegaard Floer correction term. Interestingly, these results are not easily shown using other concordance invariants such as the $τ$-invariant of knot Floer theory and the $s$-invariant of Khovanov homology. We also determine the infinity version of the knot Floer complex of $D(T_{2,2m+1})$ for any $m\geq 1$ generalizing a result for $T_{2,3}$ of Hedden, Kim and Livingston.

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arXiv2016

An infinite-rank summand of knots with trivial Alexander polynomial

We show that there exists a $\mathbb{Z}^\infty$-summand in the subgroup of the knot concordance group generated by knots with trivial Alexander polynomial. To this end we use the invariant Upsilon $Υ$ recently introduced by Ozsváth, Stipsicz and Szabó using knot Floer homology. We partially compute $Υ$ of $(n,1)$-cable of the Whitehead double of the trefoil knot. For this computation of $Υ$, we determine a sufficient condition for two satellite knots to have identical $Υ$ for any pattern with nonzero winding number.

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