HOMFLY-PT polynomial and normal rulings of Legendrian solid torus links

We show that for any Legendrian link $L$ in the $1$-jet space of $S^1$ the $2$-graded ruling polynomial, $R^2_L(z)$, is determined by the Thurston-Bennequin number and the HOMFLY-PT polynomial. Specifically, we recover $R^2_L(z)$ as a coefficient of a particular specialization of the HOMFLY-PT polynomial. Furthermore, we show that this specialization may be interpreted as the standard inner product on the algebra of symmetric functions that is often identified with a certain subalgebra of the HOMFLY-PT skein module of the solid torus. In contrast to the $2$-graded case, we are able to use $0$-graded ruling polynomials to distinguish many homotopically non-trivial Legendrian links with identical classical invariants.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figure

The Bennequin number, Kauffman polynomial, and ruling invariants of a Legendrian link: the Fuchs conjecture and beyond

We show that the ungraded ruling invariants of a Legendrian link can be realized as certain coefficients of the Kauffman polynomial which are non-vanishing if and only if the upper bound for the Bennequin number given by the Kauffman polynomial is sharp. This resolves positively a conjecture of Fuchs. Using similar methods a result involving the upper bound given by the HOMFLY polynomial and 2-graded rulings is proved.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figure

Equivalence classes of augmentations and Morse complex sequences of Legendrian knots

Let L be a Legendrian knot in R^3 with the standard contact structure. In [10], a map was constructed from equivalence classes of Morse complex sequences for L, which are combinatorial objects motivated by generating families, to homotopy classes of augmentations of the Legendrian contact homology algebra of L. Moreover, this map was shown to be a surjection. We show that this correspondence is, in fact, a bijection. As a corollary, homotopic augmentations determine the same graded normal ruling of L and have isomorphic linearized contact homology groups. A second corollary states that the count of equivalence classes of Morse complex sequences of a Legendrian knot is a Legendrian isotopy invariant.Comment: 28 pages, 17 figure

2007 Founder\u27s Day Correspondence

Letters of correspondence from Dan Rutherford to Barbara Todd about the 2007 Founder\u27s Day.https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/founding/1203/thumbnail.jp

The cardinality of the augmentation category of a Legendrian link

We introduce a notion of cardinality for the augmentation category associated to a Legendrian knot or link in standard contact R^3. This `homotopy cardinality' is an invariant of the category and allows for a weighted count of augmentations, which we prove to be determined by the ruling polynomial of the link. We present an application to the augmentation category of doubly Lagrangian slice knots.Comment: 15 page