Quasi-tree expansion for the Bollob\'as-Riordan-Tutte polynomial

Oriented ribbon graphs (dessins d'enfant) are graphs embedded in oriented surfaces. The Bollob\'as-Riordan-Tutte polynomial is a three-variable polynomial that extends the Tutte polynomial to oriented ribbon graphs. A quasi-tree of a ribbon graph is a spanning subgraph with one face, which is described by an ordered chord diagram. We generalize the spanning tree expansion of the Tutte polynomial to a quasi-tree expansion of the Bollob\'as-Riordan-Tutte polynomial.Comment: This version to be published in the Bulletin of the London Mathematical Society. 17 pages, 4 figure

Recipe theorems for polynomial invariants on ribbon graphs with half-edges

We provide recipe theorems for the Bollob\`as and Riordan polynomial $\mathcal{R}$ defined on classes of ribbon graphs with half-edges introduced in arXiv:1310.3708[math.GT]. We also define a generalized transition polynomial $Q$ on this new category of ribbon graphs and establish a relationship between $Q$ and $\mathcal{R}$.Comment: 24 pages, 14 figure

A Turaev surface approach to Khovanov homology

We introduce Khovanov homology for ribbon graphs and show that the Khovanov homology of a certain ribbon graph embedded on the Turaev surface of a link is isomorphic to the Khovanov homology of the link (after a grading shift). We also present a spanning quasi-tree model for the Khovanov homology of a ribbon graph.Comment: 30 pages, 18 figures, added sections on virtual links and Reidemeister move

Graphs on surfaces and Khovanov homology

Oriented ribbon graphs (dessins d'enfant) are graphs embedded in oriented surfaces. A quasi-tree of a ribbon graph is a spanning subgraph with one face, which is described by an ordered chord diagram. We show that for any link diagram $L$, there is an associated ribbon graph whose quasi-trees correspond bijectively to spanning trees of the graph obtained by checkerboard coloring $L$. This correspondence preserves the bigrading used for the spanning tree model of Khovanov homology, whose Euler characteristic is the Jones polynomial of $L$. Thus, Khovanov homology can be expressed in terms of ribbon graphs, with generators given by ordered chord diagrams.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

The multivariate signed Bollobas-Riordan polynomial

We generalise the signed Bollobas-Riordan polynomial of S. Chmutov and I. Pak [Moscow Math. J. 7 (2007), no. 3, 409-418] to a multivariate signed polynomial Z and study its properties. We prove the invariance of Z under the recently defined partial duality of S. Chmutov [J. Combinatorial Theory, Ser. B, 99 (3): 617-638, 2009] and show that the duality transformation of the multivariate Tutte polynomial is a direct consequence of it.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figures. Published version: a section added about the quasi-tree expansion of the multivariate Bollobas-Riordan polynomia

The Jones polynomial and graphs on surfaces

The Jones polynomial of an alternating link is a certain specialization of the Tutte polynomial of the (planar) checkerboard graph associated to an alternating projection of the link. The Bollobas-Riordan-Tutte polynomial generalizes the Tutte polynomial of planar graphs to graphs that are embedded in closed oriented surfaces of higher genus. In this paper we show that the Jones polynomial of any link can be obtained from the Bollobas-Riordan-Tutte polynomial of a certain oriented ribbon graph associated to a link projection. We give some applications of this approach.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, minor change