SYMMETRIC FlEERED LINKS

Deborah L. Goldsmith

O. Introduction
The main points of this paper are a construction for fibered links, and
a description of some interplay between major problems in the topology of
3-manifolds; these latter are, notably, the Smith problem (can a knot be
the fixed point set of a periodic homeomorphism of S3), the problem of
which knots are determined by their complement in the 3-sphere, and
whether a s imply connected manifold is obtainable from S3 by surgery on
a knot.
There are three sections. In the first, symmetry of links is defined,
and a method for constructing fibered links is presented. It is shown how
this method can sometimes be used to recognize that a symmetric link is
fibered; then it reveals all information pertaining to the fibration, such as
the genus of the fiber and the monodromy. By way of illustration, an
analysis is made of the figure-8 knot and the Boromean rings, which, it
turns out, are symmetric and fibered, and related to each other in an
interesting way.
In Section II it is explained how to pass back and forth between dif-
ferent ways of presenting 3-manifolds.
Finally, the material developed in the first two sections is used to
establish the interconnections referred to earlier. It is proved that com-
pletely symmetric fibered links which have repeated symmetries of order 2
(e. g., the figure-8 knot) are characterized by their complement in the
3-sphere.
I would like to thank Louis Kauffman and John W. Milnor for conversa-
lions.
4 DEBORAH L. GOLDSMITH

I. Symmetric fibered links

§l. Links with rotational symmetry
By a rotation of S3 we mean an orientation preserving homeomorphism
of S3 onto itself which has an unknotted simple closed curve A for
fixed point set, called the axis of the rotation. If the rotation has finite
period n, then the orbit space of its action on S3 is again the 3-sphere,
and the projection map p: S3 .... S3 to the orbit space is the n-fold cyclic
branched cover of S3 along peA).
An oriented link L C S3 has a symmetry of order n if there is a rota-
tion of S3 with period n and axis A, where An L ~ ep, which leaves
L invariant. We will sometimes refer to the rotation as the symmetry,
and to its axis as the axis of symmetry of L.
The oriented link L c: S3 is said to be completely symmetric relative
to an oriented link L o ' if there exists a sequence of oriented links
L o ' L 1 , " , L n = L beginning with L o and ending with L n ~ L, such
that for each i 1= 0, the link L i has a symmetry of order ni > 1 with
axis of symmetry Ai and projection Pi: S3 .... S3 to the orbit space of the
symmetry, and L i _ 1 "'" p/L i ). If L o is the trivial knot, then L is
called a completely symmetric link. The number n is the complexity of
the sequence. Abusing this terminology, we will sometimes refer to a
completely symmetric link L of complexity n (relative to L o) to indi-
cate the existence of such a sequence of complexity n.
Figure 1 depicts a completely symmetric link L of complexity 3,
having a symmetry of order 3.

{'~
~~cfdu~
\\ ~
C2~')YJ
LJ L~
 SYMMETRIC FInER ED LINKS 5

§2. Symmetric fibered links

An oriented link L C S3 is fibered if the complement S3 - L is a
surface bundle over the circle whose fiber F over 1 (SI is the interior
of a compact, oriented surface F with JF ~ L.
Such a link L is a generalized axis for a link L'c S3 - L if L'
intersects each fiber of the bundle S3 - L transversely in n points. In
the classical case (which this generalizes) a link L'c R3 is said to have
the z-axis for an axis if each component L'i has a parametrization L'i(e)
by which, for each angle 00' the point L'i(e O) lies inside the half-plane
e",00 given by its equation in polar coordinates for R3 . We will define
L to be an axis for L'C S3 if L is a generalized axis for L' and L
is an unknotted simple closed curve.
We wish to investigate sufficient conditions under which symmetric
links are fibered.

LEMMA 1 (A construction). Let L' be a fibered link in the 3-sphere and

suppose p: S3 --> S3 is a branched covering of S3 by S3, whose branch
set is a link Be S3 - L'. l£ L' is a generalized axis for B, then
L = p-l(L') is a fibered link.

Proof. The complement S3 - L' fibers over the circle with fibers Fs'
s ( SI, the interior of compact, oriented surfaces Fs such that JFs = L'.
Let F = p-l (Fs ) be the inverse image of the surface Fs under the
s
branched covering projection. Then aF F
s = Land s - L, s ( SI, is a
locally trivial bundle over SI by virtue of the homotopy lifting property
of the covering space p: S3 - (L U P-1 (B)) -, S3 - (L'U B). Thus S3 - L
fibers over SI with fiber, the interior of the surface Fl'

REMARK. An exact calculation of genus (F 1) follows easily from the

equation X(F1 _p-l(B)) = nx(F1 -B) for the Euler characteristic of the
covering space F1 - p.-l(B) ., F1 - B. For example, if p: S3 --> S3 is a
regular branched covering, L has only one component and k is the
6 DEBORAH L. GOLDSMITH

number of points in the intersection B n F 1 of B with the surface F1 ,

we can derive the inequality: genus (F1 ) ~ n genus (F1 ) + ~ + n(ki2~.
From this it follows that if k> 1, or genus (F1 ) > 0, then genus (F 1 ) > 0
and L is knotted.

Recall that a completely symmetric link L C S3 (relative to L o) is

given by a sequence of links L o' L 1 ,.··, L n = L such that for each i 1= 0,
the link L i has a symmetry of order ni with axis of symmetry Ai' and
such that Pi: S3 --+ S3 is the projection to the orbit space of the symmetry.

THEOREM 1. Let L C S3 be a completely symmetric link relative to the

libered link L o' defined by the sequence of links L o' L 1 ,. .. , L n = L. If
for each i I- 0, the projection Pi(L i ) of the link L i is a generalized
axis for the projection Pi(A i ) of its axis of symmetry, then L is a non-
trivial fibered link.

Proof. Apply Lemma 1 repeatedly to the branched coverings Pi: S3 --+ S3

branched alol'g the trivial knot Pi(A i ) having Pi(L i ) "'" L i _ 1 for general-
ized axis.

The completely symmetric links L which are obtained from a sequence

L o' L 1 ,.··, L n = L satisfying the conditions of the theorem, where L o is
the trivial knot, are called completely symmetric fibered links.

EXAMPLES. In Figure 2 we see a proof that the figure-8 knot L is a

completely symmetric fibered knot of complexity 1, with a symmetry of
order 2. It is fibered because p(A) is the braid a2" l al closed about
the axis p(L). The shaded disk F with JF = La intersects p(A) in
three points; hence the shaded surface F= p-l(F), which is the closed
fiber of the fibration of S3 - Lover Sl, is the 2-fold cyclic branched
cover of the disk F branching along the points F n p(A), and has
genus 1.
In Figure 3, it is shown that the Boromean rings L is a completely
symmetric fibered link of complexity 1, with a symmetry of order 3.
 SYMMETRIC FIBER ED LINKS 7

4.xis A tJ~is A
of sr'",etnt

3- fold 1p ,,'" breuded Covet'

f(L) lL)

l~ l~

piAl@?) f{LJ
lAlCf{(2 r{LJ
6)
Fig. 2. Fig. 3.

1
This link is fibered because p(A) is the braid a 2 a 1 closed about the
axis p(L). The surface F = p-l(F) which is the closed fiber of the
fibration of S3 - Lover SI is not shaded, but is precisely the surface
obtained by Seifert's algorithm (se~ f12]). It is a particular 3-fold cyclic
brunched cover of the disk F (shaded) branching along the three points
F n p(A), ;1 nd hus v,enus I.
8 DEBORAH L. GOLDSMITH

friviA! knot Bor(J/f7ean r"",s ~ Cdinf"Jt.~ S3"""t.tric. ~W

lmk
Fig. 4.

Finally, we see from Figure 4 that these two examples are special
cases of a class of completely symmetric fibered links of complexity 1
with a symmetry of order n, obtained by closing the braid b n , where
b = a 2-1 a l ·

II. Presentations of 3-manifolds

There are three well-known constructions for a 3-manifold M: 1\1 may
be obtained from a Heegaard diagram, or as the result of branched covering
or performing "surgery" on another 3-manifold. A specific construction
may be called a presentation; and just as group presentations determine
the group, but not vice-versa, so M has many Heegaard, branched covering
and surgery presentations which determine it up to homeomorphism.
Insight is gained by changing from one to another of the three types of
presentations for M, and methods for doing this have been evolved by
various people; in particular, given a Heegaard diagram for M, it is known
how to derive a surgery presentation ((9]) and in some cases, how to
present M as a double branched cover of S3 along a link ([2]). This
section deals with the remaining case, that of relating surgery and branched
covering constructions.

§l. The operation of surgery

Let C be a closed, oriented I-dimensional submanifold of the oriented
3-manifold M, consisting of the oriented simple closed curves c l ,"', ck'
An oriented 3-manifold N is said to be obtained from M by surgery on
C if N is the result of removing the interior of disjoint, closed tubular
 SYMMETRIC FIBER ED LINKS 9

neighborhoods T i of the ci's and regluing the closed neighborhoods by

orientation preserving self-homeomorphisms cPi: aT i ... aT i of their
boundary. It is not hard to see that N is determined up to homeomorphism
by the homology classes of the image curves cPi(mi) in HI (aT i; Z),
where mi is a meridian on aT i (i.e., mi is an oriented simple closed
curve on aT i which s pans a disk in T i and links ci with linking
number +1 in T i)' If Yi is the homology class in HI (aT i; Z) repre-
sented by cPi(m i ), then let M(C;YI'''''Yk) denote the manifold N ob-
tained according to the above surgery procedure.
When it is possible to find a longitude Ei on aTi (i.e., an oriented
simple closed curve on aT i which is homologous to c i in T i and links
ci with linking number zero in M), then Yi will usually be expressed as
a linear combination rmi + s Ei , r, s (Z, of these two generators for
HI (aT i ; Z), where the symbols mi and Ci serve dually to denote both
the simple closed curve and its homology class. An easy fact is that for
a knot C in the homology 3-sphere M, M(C; rm + s E) is again a homology
sphere exactly when r = ± 1.

§2. Surgery on the trivial knot in S3

An important feature of the trivial knot C c: S3 is that any 3-manifold
S\C; m + kE), k (Z, obtained from S3 by surgery on C is again S3. To
see this, decompose S3 into two solid tori sharing a common boundary,
the tubular neighborhood T I of C, and the complementary solid torus
T 2' Let 1>: T 2 ... T 2 be a homeomorphism which carries m to the curve
m j- k E; then
~
cP extends to a homeomorphism cP: S3 ->
3
S (C;, + k E).
Now suppose B c: S3 is some link disjoint from C. The link
Be S3(C; m + kE)" is generally different from the link Be S3. Specifically,
B is transformed by the surgery to its inverse image cP-I(B) under the
identification cP: S3 ... S3(C; m + k E). The alteration may be described in
the following way:
Let B be transverse to some cross-sectional disk of T 2 having E
for boundary. Cut S3 and B open along this disk, and label the two
10 DEBORAH L. GOLDSMITH

copies the negative side and the positive side of the disk, according as
the meridian m enters that side or leaves it. Now twist the negative
side k full rotations in the direction of - e, and reglue it to the positive
side. The resulting link is <,6-1 (B).
For example, if B is the n-stringed braid b (B n closed about the
axis C, where B n is the braid group on n-strings, and if c is an
appropriate generator of center (B n), then Be S3(C; m+ke) is the
closed braid b· c k . Figure 5 illustrates this phenomenon. In Figure 6 it
is shown how to change a crossing of a link B by doing surgery on an
unknotted simple closed curve C in the complement of B.

Fig. Sa.

Fig. Sb.

Fig. 6.
 SYMMETRIC FIBER ED LINKS 11

83. The branched covering operation

For our purposes, a map f: N -> M between the 3-manifolds Nand M
is a branched covering map with branch set Be: M, if there are triangula-
tions of Nand M for which f is a simplicial map where no simplex is
mapped degenerately by f, and if B is a pure I-dimensional subcomplex
of M such that the restriction

fl N_f- 1 (B): N_f- 1 (B) ,M-B

is a covering (see [5]). The foldedness of the branched covering f is

defined to be the index of the covering fiN - f- 1 (B).
We will only consider the case where the branch set Be M is a
I-dimensional submanifold, and the folded ness of f is a finite number, n.
Then f and N are determined by a representation 77
1 (M-B). S(n) of
the fundamental group of the complement of B in M to the symmetric
group on n numbers (see [4]). Given this representation, the manifold N
is constructed by forming the covering space f': N' • M - B corresponding
to the subgroup of 77
1 (M-B) represented onto permutations which fix 1,
und then completing to f: N -> M by filling in the tubular neighborhood of
B and extending f' to f.
A regular branched covering is one for which f': N' ) M - B is a regu-
lar covering, or in other words, one for which the subgroup of 77
1
(M-B)
in question is normal. Among these are the cyclic branched coverings,
given by representations 77
1 (M-B) -> Zn onto the cyclic group of order n,
such that the projection f: N -> M is one-to-one over the branch set. Since
I. n is abelian, these all factor through the first homology group

77
1 (M-B) -> HI (M-Bj Z) -, Zn .

Does there always exist an n-fold cyclic branched covering N -> M

with a given branch set Be M? The simplest case to consider is the
one in which M is a homology 3-sphere. Here HI (M-B; Z) ~ Z Ell Z Ell .. • Ell Z
is generated by meridians lying on tubes about each of the components of
12 DEBORAH L. GOLDSMITH

the branch set. Clearly all representations of HI (M-B; Z) onto Zn

which come from cyclic branched coverings are obtained by linearly ex-
tending arbitrary assignments of these meridians to ± 1. This guarantees
the existence of many n-fold cyclic branched coverings of M branched
along B, except in the case n = 2, or in case B has one component,
when there is only one.
Should M not be a homology sphere, an n-fold cyclic covering with
branch set B will exist if each component of B belongs to the n-torsion
of HI (M; Z), but this condition is not always necessary.

§4. Commuting the two operations

If one has in hand a branched covering space, and a surgery to be per-
formed on the base manifold, one may ask whether the surgery can be
lifted to the covering manifold in such a way that the surgered manifold
upstairs naturally branched covers the surgered manifold downstairs. The
answer to this is very interesting, because it shows one how to change
the order in which the two operations are performed, without changing the
resulting 3-manifold.
Let f: N -> M be an n-fold branched covering of the oriented 3-manifold
M along Be M given by a representation ep:"1 (M-B) .... S(n), and let
M(C; YI "", Yk) be obtained from M by surgery on C C M, where
C n B= ep. Note that the manifold N - f-I (C) is a branched covering
space of M- C branched along B C M- C, and is given by the representa-
tion

where i:"1 (M - [C U Bj) .... "I (M-B) is induced by inclusion. Now let the
components of f-I(T i ) be the solid tori Tij , j = 1,· .. ,n i , i=l,···,k;
on the boundary of each tube choose a single oriented, simple closed
curve in the inverse image of a representative of Yi' and denote its
homology class in HI (aT ij; Z) by Yij'
 SYMMETRIC FIDERED LINKS 13

THEOREM 2. Suppose Yi ,"', Yi are precisely the classes among

1 I'
YI ,''', Yk which have a representative all of whose lifts are closed curves;
I'
let B' = C - U c·. Then f: N -, M induces a branched covering
j = 1 Ij

of the surgered manifolds, branched along BUB' C M(C; YI'''', Yk)' The
associated representation is r/>': 77 1 (M(C; YI ,''', Yk) - [B U B']) .... Sen),
defined by the commutative diagram

and off of a tubular neighborhood f- I (UT.)

1
of the surgered set, the maps
f and f' agree.

Proof. One need only observe that the representation r/> does indeed
factor through 1(M(C; YI ,"', Yk)-lB U B']) because of the hypothesis
77

that there exist representatives of Yi ,"', Yi all of whose lifts are closed
1 I'
curves.

The meaning of this theorem should be made apparent by what follows.

EXAMPLE. It is known that the dodecahedral space is obtained from S3

by surgery on the trefoil knot K; in fact, it is the manifold S3(K; m- n.
We will use this to conclude that it is also the 3-fold cyclic branched
cover of S3 along the (2,5) torus knot, as well as the 2-fold cyclic
branched cover of S3 along the (3,5) torus knot (see [6]). These pre-
sentations are probably familiar to those who like to think of this homology
3
sphere as the intersection of the algebraic variety IXfC :xi+xi+x~=OI
with the 3-sphere IXfC 3 : Ixl ~ 11.

According to Figure 7, the trefoil knot K is the inverse image of the

circle C under the 3-fold cyclic hr;lllched cover of S3 along the trivial
14 DEBORAH L. GOLDSMITH

knot B. By Theorem 2, S3(K; m-£) is the 3-fold cyclic branched cover

of S3(C; m-3£) branched along Be S3(C; m-3£). Since C is the trivial
knot, S3(C; m-3£) is the 3-sphere, and Be S3(C; m-3£) is the (2,5)
torus knot, as in Figure Sa. We deduce that the dodecahedral space is
the 3-fold cyclic branched cover of S3 along the (2,5) torus knot.
A similar argument is applied to Figure 8, in which the trefoil knot is
depicted as the inverse image of a circle C under the double branched
cover of S3 along the trivial knot B. By Theorem 2, the space
S3(K;m_£) is then the 2-fold cyclic branched cover of S3(C;m-2£)
along Be S3(C; m-2£), which according to Figure Sb is the (3,5) torus

3-foId c~cllt lp bl'a.rK-hed c.~e . . elF S~

a./oT19 B

c c

Fig. 7. Fig. 8.
 SYMMETRIC FIBER ED LINKS 15

knot. Hence the dodecahedral space is the 2-fold cyclic branched cover
of S3 along the (3,5) torus knot.
The following definition seems natural at this point:

DEFINITION. Let L be a link in a 3-manifold M which is left invariant

by the action of a group G on M. Then any surgery M(L;Yl,""Yk) in
which the collection I Y 1'"'' Ykl of homology classes is left invariant by
G, is said to be equivariant with respect to G.

The manifold obtained by equivariant surgery naturally inherits the

action of the group G.

THEOREM 3 (An algorithm). Every n-fold cyclic branched cover of S3

branched along a knot K may be obtained from S3 by equivariant surgery
on a link L with a symmetry of order n.

Proof. The algorithm proceeds as follows.

Step 1. Choose a knot projection for K. In the projection encircle
the crossings which, if simultaneously reversed, cause K to become the
trivial knot K'.
Step 2. Lift these disjoint circles into the complement S3 - K of the
knot, so that each one has linking number zero with K.
Step 3. Reverse the encircled crossings. Then orient each curve ci
so that the result of the surgery S3(ci; m + P.) is to reverse that crossing
back to its original position (see Figure 6).
k
Step 4. Let C = . U c i be the union of the oriented circles in S3 - K',
3 3 1=1 3
:md let p: S .... S be the n-fold cyclic branched cover of S along the
trivial knot K'. Then if L = p-l(C), it follows from Theorem 2 that the
n-fold cyclic branched cover of S3 along K is the manifold
S3(L;rlml+rl, .. ·,rkmk+rk) obtained from S3 by equivariant surgery on
the link L, which has a symmetry of order n.

Ex AMPLE (Another presentation of the dodecahedral space). In Figure 9,

I(,t p: S3 > S3 be the S-fold eye I i(' bra nehed cover of S3 a long the
16 DEBORAH L. GOLDSMITH

Step I.

K
step.:!.

1<'
~~
C

Fig. 9.

trivial knot K'. Then if L ~ p-I(C) as in step 4 of Figure 9, the 5-fold

cyclic branched cover of S3 along the (2,3) torus knot K is the mani-
fold S3(L;m I -rl'· .. ,ms-r s ) obtained from S3 by equivariant surgery
on the link L.
III. Applications
We will now derive properties of the special knots constructed in
Section I. Recall that a knot K is characterized by its complement if no
surgery S3(K; m + k r), k (Z and k -t 0, is again S3. A knot K is said
to have property P if and only if no surgery S3(K; m + kP), k (Z and
 SYMMETRIC FIBERED LINKS 17

k -J- 0, is a simply connected manifold. A fake 3-sphere is a homotopy

3-sphere which is not homeomorphic to S3.

THEOREM 4. Let K be a completely symmetric fibered knot defined by

the sequence of knots K o' K 1 ,"', K n = K, such that each K i , i -J- 0, is
symmetric of order ni = 2. Then K is characterized by its complement.

THEOREM 5. Let K be a completely symmetric fibered knot of com-

plexity 1, defined by the sequence K o' K 1 = K, where K is symmetric
of order n 1 = n. If K is not characterized by its complement, then there
;s a transformation of S3 which is periodic of period n, having knotted
fixed point set. If a fake 3-sphere is obtained from S3 by surgery on K,
then there is a periodic transformation of this homotopy sphere of period n,
having knotted fixed point set.

THEOREM 6. Let K be a completely symmetric fibered knot. Then if

K does not have property P, there exists a non-trivial knot K'( S3
such that for some n> 1, the n-fold cyclic branched cover of S3
hranched along K' is simply connected.

It should be pointed out that the property of a knot being characterized

by its complement is considerably weaker than property P. For example,
it is immediate from Theorem 4 that the figure-8 knot is characterized by

its complement, while the proof that it has property P is known to be

difficult (see f71).
The following lemmas will be used to prove Theorems 4-6.

LEMMA 2. The special genus of the torus link of type (n, nk), k -J- 0, IS

hounded below by
18 DEBORAH L. GOLDSMITH

n2 !kl_4 if n even
4

Ikl (n 2 _1) if n odd, k even

4

(n-l) ( Ikl(n+l)- 2)
if n odd, k odd .
4

Proof. The special genus of an oriented link L is defined here to be the

infimum of all geni of connected, oriented surfaces F locally flatly em-
bedded in 0 4 , whose oriented boundary JF is the link L C a0 4 • This
special genus, which will be denoted g *(L), satisfies an inequality

ia (L)I s:. 2g*(L) + Il(L) - 1/(L)

where a(L) is the signature, 11(L) is the number of components and

1/(L) is the nullity of the link L (see l8] or [10)). The lemma will be
proved by calculating a(L), Il(L) and 1/(L), where L is the torus link
of type (n, nk), k > a (see [6]); then the result will automatically follow
for torus links of type (n, nk), k < 0, since these are mirror images of
the above.
In what follows, assume k> O.

2_n 2 k
a(L) = 2 if n even

(i)

if n odd .

The signature a(L) is the signature of any 4-manifold which is the

double branched cover of 0 4 along a spanning surface F of L having
the properties described above (see [8]). The intersection of the algebraic
variety !XfC 3 : xr + x~k + x~ = 81, for small 8, with the 4-ball
!XfC 3 : Ixl s:. I! is such a 4-manifold. Its signature is calculated by
Hirzebruch (l3J) to be at - a-, where
 SYMMETRIC FlEERED LINKS 19

i i
(J+ =ti!(i1,i ):0<i <n, 0<i <nkl such that 0< 1. ~ - 2 t- !.<1 (mod 2)
2 1 2 n nk 2

i i
(1-= til (i1 ,i 2 ):0< i 1 < n, 0< i 2 < nkl such that -l<n1 -t -2t !. < 0 (mod 2).
nk 2

In other words, if we consider the lattice points {( i ' ~~): 0 < i 1 < n, 0 < i 2 < nk}
in the interior of the unit square of the xy-plane, and divide the unit square
into positive and negative regions
as in Figure 10, then a+ is the
(.-!i) \) total number of points interior to
(0,0 (I) ,)
the positive regions, a- is the
number of points interior to the
(0, I~)
(I, Y.t) negative region, and their differ-
ence af- - a- is given by the

X formulae in (i).
(~,O) 0)0)

Fig. 10.

(ii) 7J(L) n-1 if n even

n if n odd, k even
1 if n odd, k odd .

The nullity of a link L is defined to be one more than the ran\< of the
first homology group H 1 (M; H) of the double branched cover M of S3
branched along L; it follows that ll(L) is independent of the orientation
of L. The result in (ii) can be easily obtained from any of the known
methods for calculating nullities (see [11]).

( iii) Il(L) = n .

Substituting these quantities into the inequality gives the desired

lower bounds for g*(L). Note that except for the (2, ±2) torus links,
nOlle of the non-trivial torus links of type (n,nk) has special genus O.
20 DEBORAH L. GOLDSMITH

In the next few paragraphs, B n denotes the braid group on n strings;

a single letter will be used to signify both an equivalence class of braids,
and a representative of that equivalence class; and the notation b will
stand for the closure of the braid b Ci.e., the link obtained by identifying
the endpoints of b).

LEMMA 3. If b f BnCn :::: 3) is a braid with n strings which closes to

the trivial knot, and c B n is a generator of the center of the braid
f

group B n , then the braid b· c k , k (Z and k -J- 0, closes to a non-

trivial knot.

Proof. First observe that if b l and b 2 are n-stranded braids which

have identical permutations and which close to a simple closed curve such
that g *Cb- l )= gl and g *Cb- 2 )= g2' then the closed braid b l I ·b 2 is a
l
link of n components whose special genus g*Cb l 'b 2 )< gl + g2' This
is illustrated schematically by Figure 11. Imagine that the two abutting
cubes are 4-dimensional cubes 11 and Ii, that their boundaries are S3,
and that the closed braid b/i = 1,2) is positioned in It as shown, with
the intersection b l n b 2 consisting of n arcs. Span each closed braid
b i by a connected, oriented, locally flatly embedded surface of genus gi
in the cube It. The union of the two surfaces is then a surface in 14 =
11 U Ii, whose boundary in the 3-sphere aI 4 is the closed braid b
l
. b2 l

Fi I
/' III /
/II /II I
/I I II .I
" II I

ll~~ - - --1/
-. . -7
,. ~
I --

Fig. 11.
 SYMMETRIC FI13ERED LINKS 21

l
The boundary b i . b2 has n components because the braid b l . b
i 2
with n strings has the trivial permutation; hence attaching the two sur-
faces at n places along their boundaries does not increase the genus
beyond the sum gl + g2' The conclusion that g *(b i l . b2 )::; gl t- g2 is
immediate.
Now suppose the conclusion of the lemma is false; i.e., for some
braid b f B n and k f Z, k f. 0, both band b· c k close to a trivial
knot. Applying the result with b I '= band b 2 -- b· c k , we reach a con-
tradiction of Lemma 2, which is that g*(c k) <; 0 + 0, where c k is the
torus link of type (n, nk) n 2' 3. Therefore Lemma 3 must be true.

Now for the proofs of the theorems:

Proof of Theorem 4. Let K' ~ Pn(K) and B oc Pn(A n). Then K is the
inverse image p;;-l (K') of the completely symmetric fibered knot K'
under a 2-fold cyclic branched cover Pn: S3 -, S3 branched along the un-
knotted simple closed curve B having K' for generalized axis. The
knot K' "'" Kn _ I also has repeated symmetries of order 2, and its com-
plexity is one less than that of K. Suppose K is not characterized by
its complement. Then a 3-sphere S3(K; m -+ H), k f. Z and k I- 0, may
be obtained from S3 by surgery on K. According to Theorem 2, this
.1-sphere is the 2-fold cyclic branched cover of S3(K'; m + 2k E) branched
along Be S3(K'; m+2H). By Waldhausen (l131), S3(K'; m+2H) must be
S3 and Be S3(K; m + 2H) must be unknotted.
We will proceed by induction on the complexity of K. If K has com-
plexity 1, then B is some braid b f. B n closed about the axis K'.
Since K' is unknotted, S3(K'; m+ 2k r) is again S3, and Be S3(K'; m j 2k r)
is the closed braid b· c 2k in S3, for some generator c of cen'ter (B n )
(recall Section II, §2). This simple closed curve is knotted, by Lemma 3,
which is a contradiction.
Next suppose that every knot of complexity n < N meeting the re-
quirements of the lemma is characterized by its complement, and let K
22 DEBORAH L. GOLDSMITH

have complexity N. From the induction hypothesis it follows that K' is

characterized by its complement, and that S3(K'; m+ 2k E) cannot be S3,
which is a contradiction.
Hence K must have been characterized by its complement.

Proof of Theorem 5. Let B = PI (AI) and K' = PI (K). Then PI: S3 -, S3

is an n-fold cyclic branched cover of S3 along the trivial knot B, such
that B is a braid b (B n closed about the axis K', and K = p -1 (K').
If K is not characterized by its complement in S3, then S3(K; m + k E)
is the 3-sphere for some k (Z, k -J- O. It follows from Theorem 2 that
S3 is the n-fold cyclic branched cover of S3(K; m t- nk E) branched along
B C S3(K'; m f nH). Now since K' "" Ko is unknotted, the manifold
S3(K'; m+ nk E) is S3 and the simple closed curve B ( S3(K'; m t nk E) is
the closed braid b· c nk , for some generator c of the center of the braid
group B n . This closed braid is knotted by Lemma 3!
Similarly, if a fake 3-sphere S3(K; m -r- kf) may be obtained from S3
as the result of surgery on K, then this homotopy 3-sphere is the n-fold
nk
cyclic branched cover of the 3-sphere along the knot b. c .

Proof of Theorem 6. The knot K is defined by a sequence Ko,K l ,. .. ,K j =

Let K'i_l = Pi(K i ) and B i _ l = Pi(A i ). Then there are nefold cyclic
branched coverings Pi: S3 --> S3 branched along the unknotted simple
closed curves B i having K'i for generalized axis, 0 < i:S j, such that
K·1 = P-I' l(K'.1- 1)' If K does not have property P, then a homotopy
sphere S3(K; m j H), k (Z and k -J- 0, may be obtained from S3 by
surgery on K. This homotopy sphere is the nrfold cyclic branched
cover of S3(K'j_l;mt-n j H) branched along B j _ l C S3(K'j_l;mtniH).
It is easy to show that the manifold S3(K'j_l; m+ njH) "" S3(K j _ l ; m+ njk
is simply connected, and so on, down to S3(K l ; m+ nj'" n 3 n2 kE). Now
S3(K l ;m+nj".n2 H) is the nl-fold cyclic branched cover of the manifold
S3(K'0; m+ nj'" n2 n l H) branched along B o C S3(K'0; m+ nj'" n2 n l H).
Let B o be the braid b (B n closed about the axis K'o' Then the
 SYMMETRIC FIBERED LINKS 23

homotopy sphere S3(K l ;m+nj ... n 3 n2 kP) is the nl-fold cyclic branched
3 n .••• n n k
2 l
cover of S' branched along the knot b· c J , where, as usual,
c is some generator of center (B n ).

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

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