## Geometry & Topology

#### Abstract

We develop the construction suggested by Scharlemann and Thompson in [Proc. of the Casson Fest. (2004) 135-144] to obtain an infinite family of pairs of knots $Kα$ and $Kα′$ so that $w(Kα#Kα′)= max{w(Kα),w(Kα′)}$. This is the first known example of a pair of knots such that $w(K#K′) and it establishes that the lower bound $w(K#K′)≥ max{w(K),w(K′)}$ obtained in Scharlemann and Schultens [Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 358 (2006) 3781-3805] is best possible. Furthermore, the knots $Kα$ provide an example of knots where the number of critical points for the knot in thin position is greater than the number of critical points for the knot in bridge position.

#### Article information

Source
Geom. Topol., Volume 17, Number 1 (2013), 93-156.

Dates
Revised: 25 March 2012
Accepted: 16 July 2012
First available in Project Euclid: 20 December 2017

https://projecteuclid.org/euclid.gt/1513732521

Digital Object Identifier
doi:10.2140/gt.2013.17.93

Mathematical Reviews number (MathSciNet)
MR3035325

Zentralblatt MATH identifier
1275.57004

#### Citation

Blair, Ryan; Tomova, Maggy. Width is not additive. Geom. Topol. 17 (2013), no. 1, 93--156. doi:10.2140/gt.2013.17.93. https://projecteuclid.org/euclid.gt/1513732521

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