On composite twisted unknots

Goodman-Strauss, Chaim

doi:10.1090/S0002-9947-97-01627-9

On composite twisted unknots
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by Chaim Goodman-Strauss

Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 349 (1997), 4429-4463

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1090/S0002-9947-97-01627-9

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Abstract:

Following Mathieu, Motegi and others, we consider the class of possible composite twisted unknots as well as pairs of composite knots related by twisting. At most one composite knot can arise from a particular $V$-twisting of an unknot; moreover a twisting of the unknot cannot be composite if we have applied more than a single full twist. A pair of composite knots can be related through at most one full twist for a particular $V$-twisting, or one summand was unaffected by the twist, or the knots were the right and left handed granny knots. Finally a conjectured characterization of all composite twisted unknots that do arise is given.

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