3 papers
math.GT2025
Stein-fillability and positivity in the mapping class group
Vitalijs Brejevs, Andy Wand
We construct an infinite family of non-positive open books with once-punctured torus pages that support Stein-fillable contact structures. Combined with a result of Wendl, this all…
math.GT2025
On the symmetric braid index of ribbon knots
Vitalijs Brejevs, Feride Ceren Kose
We define the symmetric braid index of a ribbon knot to be the smallest index of a braid whose closure yields a symmetric union diagram of , and derive a Khovanov-h…
math.GT2025
On chain link surgeries bounding rational homology balls and -slice 3-braid closures
Vitalijs Brejevs, Jonathan Simone
We determine which integral surgeries on a large class of circular chain links bound rational homology balls. Our key tool is the lattice-theoretic cubiquity obstruction recently d…