Knot signature ($\sigma (K)=\mathrm{sign}(V+V^T)$)

The knot signature is the signature of the symmetrized Seifert matrix. Equivalently it is the signature of the double branched covering of $B^4$ over a pushed-in Seifert surface. At $\omega =-1$ it agrees with the Levine-Tristram signature. It is additive under connected sum of knots, changes sign under reflection, and obeys $|\sigma (K)|\le 2g_4(K)$. State the ambient orientation and push-off convention when assigning a sign.

For a reduced connected alternating knot diagram, its knot signature is $s_A(D)-c_{+}(D)-1$, where $s_A$ counts circles in the all-$A$ bracket smoothing state and $c_{+}$ counts positive crossings. The convention is that the $A$-smoothing at a positive braid crossing is the oriented smoothing, and a positive trefoil knot has knot signature $-2$. Reversing the global knot signature convention negates the formula.