A zero polynomial of virtual knots

Abstract

In 2013, Cheng and Gao introduced the writhe polynomial of virtual knots and Kauffman introduced the affine index polynomial of virtual knots. We introduce a zero polynomial of virtual knots of a similar type by considering weights of a suitable collection of crossings of a virtual knot diagram. We show that the zero polynomial gives a Vassiliev invariant of degree 1. It distinguishes a pair of virtual knots that cannot be distinguished by the affine index polynomial and the writhe polynomial.