Discs in compression bodies

Darren Long

Vol. 122 (1986), No. 1, 129–146

DOI: 10.2140/pjm.1986.122.129

Abstract

It has been shown in a paper by Casson and the author that there is an algorithm to determine if an automorphism of a closed, orientable surface ‘compresses’. A motivation for finding such a decision procedure is to apply it to fibred knots to determine if they are ‘homotopically ribbon’. This makes it important that the process is as efficient as possible. One of the aims of this paper will be to exhibit improvements in this algorithm.

Mathematical Subject Classification 2000

Primary: 57N05

Milestones

Received: 20 August 1984

Revised: 12 February 1985

Published: 1 March 1986