Narrow Results

A method is given for economically constructing any algebraic knot or link K. This construction, which involves tree diagrams, gives a new upper bound for the edge number of K that is proven to be at most twice the crossing number of K. Furthermore, it realizes a minimal-crossing projection.

We study the zeros of Alexander polynomials of three classes of arborescent links. In the first class, the zeros are real (and negative) or modulus one. In the second class, the zeros are real (and positive). In the third class, the zeros are real or modulus one. For this purpose, we modify their Alexander polynomials into other real polynomials, with only real zeros, and use the property that two such polynomials have interlacing real zeros.