Publication Date
April 2010
Advisor(s)
Constance Leidy
Major
Mathematics
Language
English (United States)
Abstract
Given two knots, K1 and K2 , a fundamental problem in low dimensional topology is determining if K1 and K2 are equivalent. Knot invariants are a key tool in determining this equivalence. We define an infinite sequence of integer invariants, δn for (n ≥ 0), based on the derived series of fundamental groups of knot complements. While these δn are useful, calculating them is a non- trivial task, usually requiring manipulations of modules over non-commutative, non-principal ideal domains. We detail the process of evaluating δ1 , and then discuss an implementation of a computer program that calculates δ1 .
Recommended Citation
Holum, Erik Robert, "Calculating the Degree of Higher Order Alexander Polynomials" (2010). Honors Theses - All. Paper 504.
http://wesscholar.wesleyan.edu/etd_hon_theses/504
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