Search results for "Unknotting number"

KNOTS WITH UNKNOTTING NUMBER ONE AND GENERALISED CASSON INVARIANT

1996

We extend the classical notion of unknotting operation to include operations on rational tangles. We recall the “classical” conditions (on the signature, linking form etc.) for a knot to have integral (respectively rational) unknotting number one. We show that the generalised Casson invariant of the twofold branched cover of the knot gives a further necessary condition. We apply these results to some Montesinos knots and to knots with less than nine crossings.