Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2026/iii/paper-112/2/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 112 2 b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Over , the relevant part of the Alexander polynomial of a knot of has the two irreducible symmetric factorsTheir upper-half-plane roots are and . The supplied determinant shows that the Levine-Tristram signature can jump only at these roots and their conjugates.
For the supplied Seifert matrix, direct inertia calculations on successive arcs of the upper semicircle giveChanging the orientation convention reverses all signs but changes no conclusion. Thus the jumps at both and are . It follows from part a thatand in both nonzero cases the image is a generator of .
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