arXiv subjects

Louis H Kauffman

Publications and source records attributed to Louis H Kauffman.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Strict Equivalence of Multi-Virtual Linkoids

We utilize multi-virtual knot theory where there are a multiplicity of virtual crossings to study strict virtual linkoids. In strict virtual linkoid theory, local moves define all virtual moves and Reidemeister moves. In the strict equivalence, no moves, classical or virtual, can transfer an arc across a linkoid endpoint. By taking closures of strict virtual linkoids that are multi-virtual knots and links, we obtain new invariants for strict virtual linkoids. Generalized bracket polynomial invariants and generalized loop bracket polynomial invariants (for planar strict virtual linkoids) are studied in this context. The paper defines virtual polar links where there are degree two nodes in virtual link diagrams across which isotopies are forbidden. The paper shows how multi-virtual theory and its concepts can be applied to obtain invariants for polar virtual links.

math.GT↗

arXiv2026

Multi-Virtual Knot Theory

This paper discusses a generalization of virtual knot theory that we call multi-virtual knot theory. Multi-virtual knot theory uses a multiplicity of types of virtual crossings. As we will explain, this multiplicity is motivated by the way it arises first in a graph-theoretic setting in relation to generalizing the Penrose evaluation for colorings of planar trivalent graphs to all trivalent graphs, and later by its uses in a virtual knot theory. As a consequence, the paper begins with the graph theory as a basis for our constructions, and then proceeds to the topology of multi-virtual knots and links. The second section of the paper is a review of our previous work (See arXiv:1511.06844). The reader interested in seeing our generalizations of the original Penrose evaluation, can begin this paper at the beginning and see the graph theory. A reader primarily interested in multi-virtual knots and links can begin reading in section 4 with references to the earlier part of the paper.

math.GT↗

arXiv2025

Categorification of Chromatic, Dichromatic and Penrose Polynomials

This paper discusses ways to categorify chromatic, dichromatic and Penrose polynomials, including categorifications of integer evaluations of chromatic polynomials. We show that with an appropriate choice of variables the coefficients of the Potts partition function at different energy levels are given by Euler characteristics of appropriate parts of a bigraded homology theory associated with the model. In the case of the dichromatic polynomial for graphs, we show that the two variable polynomial can be seen as a sum of powers of one variable multiplied by coefficients that are "impropriety" coloring polynomials for the underlying graph. An impropriety polynomial $C_{G}^{i}(n)$ counts the number of colorings in $n$ colors of the graph that are not proper at a given number $i$ of edges in the graph. The last section of the paper categorifies coloring evaluations rather than coloring polynomials. We then obtain a range of possible chain complexes and homology theories such that the chromatic evaluation is equal to the Euler characteristic of the homology. The freedom of choice in making such chain complexes is related to possible associative algebra structures on the set of colors.

math.CO↗

arXiv2025

Knot Logic and Arborescent Links

This paper introduces a new algebra, the crossing algebra, that is applied to count the number of components for arborescent knots, links, tangles or states (of a state polynomial expansion such as the Kauffman bracket). This algebra is foundational, and it is related to generalisations of boolean logic and to aspects of foundations based in diagrams and networks. Applications are given to rational knots, links and tangles and to the structure of the bracket polynomial and the beginnings of Khovanov homology.

math.GT↗

arXiv2022

Combinatorial Knot Theory and the Jones Polynomial

This paper is a memory of the work and influence of Vaughan Jones. It is an exposition of the remarkable breakthroughs in knot theory and low dimensional topology that were catalyzed by his work. The paper recalls the inception of the Jones polynomial and the author's discovery of the bracket polynomial model for the Jones polynomial. We then describe some of the developments in knot theory that were inspired by the Jones polynomial and involve variations and generalizations of this invariant. The paper is written in the form of a personal odyssey and with the intent to show different mathematical themes that arise in relation to the Jones polynomial. This invariant can be interpreted in relation to combinatorial topology, statistical mechanics, Lie algebras, Hopf algebras, quantum field theory, category theory and more. In each case the Jones invariant appears as a key example for patterns and connections of these mathematical and physical contexts. It is remarkable to what extent Vaughan Jones' discovery of his polynomial has touched so much mathematics, physics, natural science and so many of our mathematical lives.

math.GT↗

arXiv2022

Calculus, Gauge Theory and Noncommutative Worlds

This paper shows how gauge theoretic structures arise naturally in a non-commutative calculus. Aspects of gauge theory, Hamiltonian mechanics and quantum mechanics arise naturally in the mathematics of a non-commutative framework for calculus and differential geometry. We show how a covariant version of the Levi-Civita connection arises naturally in this commutator calculus. This connection satisfies the formula $$Γ_{kij} + Γ_{ikj} = \nabla_{j}g_{ik} = \partial_{j} g_{ik} + [g_{ik}, A_j].$$ and so is exactly a generalization of the connection defined by Hermann Weyl in his original gauge theory. In the non-commutative world $\cal N$ the metric indeed has a wider variability than the classical metric and its angular holonomy. Weyl's idea was to work with such a wider variability of the metric. The present formalism provides a new context for Weyl's original idea.

math.DG↗

arXiv2021

Knot Dynamics

We examine computer experiments that can be performed to understand the dynamics of knots under self-repulsion. In the course of specific computer exploration we use the knot theory of rational knots and rational tangles to produce classes of unknots with complex initial configurations that we call hard unknots, and corresponding complex configurations that are topologically equivalent to simpler knots. We shall see that these hard unknots and complexified knots give examples that do not reduce in the experimental space of the computer program. That is, we find unknotted configurations that will not reduce to simple circular forms under self-repulsion, and we find complex versions of knots that will not reduce to simpler forms under the self-repulsion. It is clear to us that the phenomena that we have discovered depend very little on the details of the computer program as long as it conforms to a general description of self-repulsion. Thus, we suggest on the basis of our experiments that sufficiently complex examples of hard unknots and sufficiently complex examples of complexified knots will not reduce to global minimal energy states in self-repulsion environments. In the course of the paper we make the character of these examples precise. It is a challenge to other program environments to verify or disprove these assertions.

math.GT↗

arXiv2021

Centrality and the KRH Invariant

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the categorical structure for a method of defining quantum invariants of knots, links and three-manifolds. These invariants can be defined in terms of right integrals on certain Hopf algebras. We call such an invariant of 3-manifolds a Hennings invariant. The work reported in this paper has its background in previous work of the authors. The present paper gives an abstract description of these structures and shows how the Hopf algebraic image of a knot lies in the center of the corresponding Hopf algebra. The paper also shows how all the axiomatic properties of a quasi-triangular Hopf algebra are involved in the topology via a functor from the Tangle Category to the Diagrammatic Category of a Hopf Algebra. The invariants described in this paper generalize to invariants of rotational virtual knots. The contents of this paper are an update of the original 1998 version published in JKTR.

math.GT↗

arXiv2020

The Affine Index Polynomial and the Sawollek Polynomial

The purpose of this paper is to give a new basis for examining the relationships of the Affine Index Polynomial and the Sawollek Polynomial. Blake Mellor has written a pioneering paper showing how the Affine Index Polynomial may be extracted from the Sawollek Polynomial. The Affine Index Polynomial is an elementary combinatorial invariant of virtual knots. The Sawollek polynomial is a relative of the classical Alexander polynomial and is defined in terms of a generalization of the Alexander module to virtual knots that derives from the so-called Alexander Biquandle. The present paper constructs the groundwork for a new approach to this relationship, and gives a concise proof of the basic Theorem of Mellor extracting the Affine Index Polynomial from the Sawollek Polynomial.

math.GT↗

arXiv2020

The Dirac Equation and the Majorana Dirac Equation

We discuss the structure of the Dirac equation and how the nilpotent and the Majorana operators arise naturally in this context. This provides a link between Kauffman's work on discrete physics, iterants and Majorana Fermions and the work on nilpotent structures and the Dirac equation of Peter Rowlands. We give an expression in split quaternions for the Majorana Dirac equation in one dimension of time and three dimensions of space. Majorana discovered a version of the Dirac equation that can be expressed entirely over the real numbers. This led him to speculate that the solutions to his version of the Dirac equation would correspond to particles that are their own anti-particles. It is the purpose of this paper to examine the structure of this Majorana-Dirac Equation, and to find basic solutions to it by using the nilpotent technique. We succeed in this aim and describe our results.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2020

$Z_{2}$ Topological Order and Topological Protection of Majorana Fermion Qubits

The Kitaev chain model exhibits topological order that manifests as topological degeneracy, Majorana edge modes and $Z_{2}$ topological invariance of the abulk spectrum. This model can be obtained from a transverse field Ising model(TFIM) using the Jordan-Wigner transformation. TFIM has neither topological degeneracy nor any edge modes. Topological degeneracy associated with topological order is central to topological quantum computation. In this paper we will explore topological protection of the ground state manifold in the case of Majorana fermion models which exhibit $Z_{2}$ topological order. We will show that there are at least two different ways to understand this topological protection of Majorana fermion qubits: one way is based on fermionic mode operators and the other is based on anti-commuting symmetry operators. We will also show how these two different ways are related to each other. We provide a very general approach of understanding the topological protection of Majorana fermion qubits in the case of lattice Hamiltonians.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Quantum knots and knotted zeros

In this paper we show how to place Michael Berry's discovery of knotted zeros in the quantum states of hydrogen in the context of general knot theory and in the context of our formulations for quantum knots. Berry gave a time independent wave function for hydrogen, as a map from three space to the complex plane and such that the inverse image of zero in the complex plane contains a knotted curve in three space. We show that for knots in three space this is a generic situation in that every smooth knot K in three space has a smooth classifying map f from three space to the complex plane such that the inverse image of zero is the knot K. This leaves open the question of characterizing just when such f are wave-functions for quantum systems. One can compare this result with the work of Mark Dennis and his collaborators, with the work of Daniel Peralta-Salas and his collaborators, and with the work of Lee Rudolph. Our approach provides great generality to the structure of knotted zeros of a wavefunction and opens up many new avenues for research in the relationships of quantum theory and knot theory. We show how this classifying construction can be related our previous work on two dimensional and three dimensional mosaic and lattice quantum knots.

math.GT↗

arXiv2018

Virtual Knot Cobordism and the Affine Index Polynomial

This paper studies cobordism and concordance for virtual knots. We define the affine index polynomial, prove that it is a concordance invariant for knots and links (explaining when it is defined for links), show that it is also invariant under certain forms of labeled cobordism and study a number of examples in relation to these phenomena. Information on determinations of the four-ball genus of some virtual knots is obtained by via the affine index polynomial in conjunction with results on the genus of positive virtual knots using joint work with Dye and Kaestner.

math.GT↗

arXiv2018

Graphical virtual links and a polynomial of signed cyclic graphs

For a signed cyclic graph G, we can construct a unique virtual link L by taking the medial construction and convert 4-valent vertices of the medial graph to crossings according to the signs. If a virtual link can occur in this way then we say that the virtual link is graphical. In the article we shall prove that a virtual link L is graphical if and only if it is checkerboard colorable. On the other hand, we introduce a polynomial F[G] for signed cyclic graphs, which is defined via a deletion-marking recursion. We shall establish the relationship between F[G] of a signed cyclic graph G and the bracket polynomial of one of the virtual link diagrams associated with G. Finally we give a spanning subgraph expansion for F[G].

math.GT↗

arXiv2017

Iterants, Idempotents and Clifford algebra in Quantum Theory

Projection operators are central to the algebraic formulation of quantum theory because both wavefunction and hermitian operators(observables) have spectral decomposition in terms of the spectral projections. Projection operators are hermitian operators which are idempotents also. We call them quantum idempotents. They are also important for the conceptual understanding of quantum theory because projection operators also represent observation process on quantum system. In this paper we explore the algebra of quantum idempotents and show that they generate Iterant algebra (defined in the paper), Lie algebra, Grassmann algebra and Clifford algebra which is very interesting because these later algebras were introduced for the geometry of spaces and hence are called geometric algebras. Thus the projection operator representation gives a new meaning to these geometric algebras in that they are also underlying algebras of quantum processes and also they bring geometry closer to the quantum theory. It should be noted that projection operators not only make lattices of quantum logic but they also span projective geometry. We will give iterant representations of framed braid group algebras, parafermion algebras and the $su(3)$ algebra of quarks. These representations are very striking because iterant algebra encodes the spatial and temporal aspects of recursive processes. In that regard our representation of these algebras for physics opens up entirely new perspectives of looking at fermions,spins and parafermions(anyons).

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Majorana Fermions and Representations of the Braid Group

In this paper we study unitary braid group representations associated with Majorana Fermions. Majorana Fermions are represented by Majorana operators, elements of a Clifford algebra. The paper recalls and proves a general result about braid group representations associated with Clifford algebras, and compares this result with the Ivanov braiding associated with Majorana operators. The paper generalizes observations of Kauffman and Lomonaco and of Mo-Lin Ge to show that certain strings of Majorana operators give rise to extraspecial 2-groups and to braiding representations of the Ivanov type.

math.GT↗

arXiv2017

Simplicial Homotopy Theory, Link Homology and Khovanov Homology

The purpose of this note is to point out that simplicial methods and the well-known Dold-Kan construction in simplicial homotopy theory can be fruitfully applied to convert link homology theories into homotopy theories. Dold and Kan prove that there is a functor from the category of chain complexes over a commutative ring with unit to the category of simplicial objects over that ring such that chain homotopic maps go to homotopic maps in the simplicial category. Furthermore, this is an equivalence of categories. In this way, given a link homology theory, we construct a mapping taking link diagrams to a category of simplicial objects such that up to looping or delooping, link diagrams related by Reidemeister moves will give rise to homotopy equivalent simplicial objects, and the homotopy groups of these objects will be equal to the link homology groups of the original link homology theory. The construction is independent of the particular link homology theory. A simplifying point in producing a homotopy simplicial object in relation to a chain complex occurs when the chain complex is itself derived (via face maps) from a simplicial object that satisfies the Kan extension condition. Under these circumstances one can use that simplicial object rather than apply the Dold-Kan functor to the chain complex. We will give examples of this situation in regard to Khovanov homology. We will investigate detailed working out of this correspondence in separate papers. The purpose of this note is to announce the basic relationships for using simplicial methods in this domain. Thus we do more than just quote the Dold-Kan Theorem. We give a review of simplicial theory and we point to specific constructions, particularly in relation to Khovanov homology, that can be used to make simplicial homotopy types directly.

math.AT↗

arXiv1998

The Links-Gould Invariant of Links

We introduce and study in detail an invariant of (1,1) tangles. This invariant, derived from a family of four dimensional representations of the quantum superalgebra U_q[gl(2|1)], will be referred to as the Links-Gould invariant. We find that our invariant is distinct from the Jones, HOMFLY and Kauffman polynomials (detecting chirality of some links where these invariants fail), and that it does not distinguish mutants or inverses. The method of evaluation is based on an abstract tensor state model for the invariant that is quite useful for computation as well as theoretical exploration.

math.GT↗