6 research outputs found
Unsigned state models for the Jones polynomial
It is well a known and fundamental result that the Jones polynomial can be
expressed as Potts and vertex partition functions of signed plane graphs. Here
we consider constructions of the Jones polynomial as state models of unsigned
graphs and show that the Jones polynomial of any link can be expressed as a
vertex model of an unsigned embedded graph.
In the process of deriving this result, we show that for every diagram of a
link in the 3-sphere there exists a diagram of an alternating link in a
thickened surface (and an alternating virtual link) with the same Kauffman
bracket. We also recover two recent results in the literature relating the
Jones and Bollobas-Riordan polynomials and show they arise from two different
interpretations of the same embedded graph.Comment: Minor corrections. To appear in Annals of Combinatoric
Expansions for the Bollobas-Riordan polynomial of separable ribbon graphs
We define 2-decompositions of ribbon graphs, which generalise 2-sums and
tensor products of graphs. We give formulae for the Bollobas-Riordan polynomial
of such a 2-decomposition, and derive the classical Brylawski formula for the
Tutte polynomial of a tensor product as a (very) special case. This study was
initially motivated from knot theory, and we include an application of our
formulae to mutation in knot diagrams.Comment: Version 2 has minor changes. To appear in Annals of Combinatoric