An Algorithm to Find Ribbon Disks for Alternating Knots

Abstract

We describe an algorithm to find ribbon disks for alternating knots, and the results of a computer implementation of this algorithm. The algorithm is underlain by a slice link obstruction coming from Donaldson’s diagonalization theorem. It successfully finds ribbon disks for slice two-bridge knots and for the connected sum of any alternating knot with its reverse mirror, as well as for 662,903 prime alternating knots of 21 or fewer crossings. We also identify some examples of ribbon alternating knots for which the algorithm fails to find ribbon disks, though a related search identifies all such examples known. Combining these searches with known obstructions, we resolve the sliceness of all but 3276 of the over 1.2 billion prime alternating knots with 21 or fewer crossings.