Knots, i.e. embeddings of spheres

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1 Introduction

See general introduction on embeddings, notation and conventions in [Skopenkov2016c, $\S$$\newcommand{\Z}{\mathbb{Z}} \newcommand{\R}{\mathbb{R}} \newcommand{\C}{\mathbb{C}} \newcommand{\N}{\mathbb{N}} \newcommand{\Q}{\mathbb{Q}} \newcommand{\F}{\mathbb{F}} \newcommand{\bZ}{\mathbb{Z}} \newcommand{\bR}{\mathbb{R}} \newcommand{\bC}{\mathbb{C}} \newcommand{\bH}{\mathbb{H}} \newcommand{\bQ}{\mathbb{Q}} \newcommand{\bF}{\mathbb{F}} \newcommand{\bN}{\mathbb{N}} \DeclareMathOperator\id{id} % identity map \DeclareMathOperator\Sq{Sq} % Steenrod squares \DeclareMathOperator\Homeo{Homeo} % group of homeomorphisms of a topoloical space \DeclareMathOperator\Diff{Diff} % group of diffeomorphisms of a smooth manifold \DeclareMathOperator\SDiff{SDiff} % diffeomorphism under some constraint \DeclareMathOperator\Hom{Hom} % homomrphism group \DeclareMathOperator\End{End} % endomorphism group \DeclareMathOperator\Aut{Aut} % automorphism group \DeclareMathOperator\Inn{Inn} % inner automorphisms \DeclareMathOperator\Out{Out} % outer automorphism group \DeclareMathOperator\vol{vol} % volume \newcommand{\GL}{\text{GL}} % general linear group \newcommand{\SL}{\text{SL}} % special linear group \newcommand{\SO}{\text{SO}} % special orthogonal group \newcommand{\O}{\text{O}} % orthogonal group \newcommand{\SU}{\text{SU}} % special unitary group \newcommand{\Spin}{\text{Spin}} % Spin group \newcommand{\RP}{\Rr\mathrm P} % real projective space \newcommand{\CP}{\Cc\mathrm P} % complex projective space \newcommand{\HP}{\Hh\mathrm P} % quaternionic projective space \newcommand{\Top}{\mathrm{Top}} % topological category \newcommand{\PL}{\mathrm{PL}} % piecewise linear category \newcommand{\Cat}{\mathrm{Cat}} % any category \newcommand{\KS}{\text{KS}} % Kirby-Siebenmann class \newcommand{\Hud}{\text{Hud}} % Hudson torus \newcommand{\Ker}{\text{Ker}} % Kernel \newcommand{\underbar}{\underline} %Classifying Spaces for Families of Subgroups \newcommand{\textup}{\text} \newcommand{\sp}{^}\S$1, $\S$$\S$2].

2 Examples

Analogously to the Haefliger trefoil knot for $k>1$$k>1$ one constructs a smooth embedding $t:S^{2k-1}\to\Rr^{3k}$$t:S^{2k-1}\to\Rr^{3k}$. For $k$$k$ even this embedding is a generator of $E_D^{3k}(S^{2k-1})\cong\Zz$$E_D^{3k}(S^{2k-1})\cong\Zz$; it is not smoothly isotopic to the standard embedding, but is piecewise smoothly isotopic to it [Haefliger1962]. It would be interesting to know if for $k$$k$ odd this embedding is a generator of $E_D^{3k}(S^{2k-1})\cong\Zz_2$$E_D^{3k}(S^{2k-1})\cong\Zz_2$. The last phrase of [Haefliger1962t] suggests that this is true for $k=3$$k=3$.

3 Classification

For some information see [Skopenkov2006, $\S$$\S$3.3].

(I would suggest including the classification of simple knots a la Kearton et. al. in this section.---John Klein)

4 References

• [Haefliger1962] A. Haefliger, Knotted $(4k-1)$$(4k-1)$-spheres in $6k$$6k$-space, Ann. of Math. (2) 75 (1962), 452–466. MR0145539 (26 #3070) Zbl 0105.17407
• [Haefliger1962t] A. Haefliger, Differentiable links, Topology, 1 (1962) 241--244

• [Skopenkov2006] A. Skopenkov, Embedding and knotting of manifolds in Euclidean spaces, in: Surveys in Contemporary Mathematics, Ed. N. Young and Y. Choi, London Math. Soc. Lect. Notes, 347 (2008) 248-342. Available at the arXiv:0604045.
• [Skopenkov2016c] A. Skopenkov, Embeddings in Euclidean space: an introduction to their classification, to appear to Bull. Man. Atl.