Khovanov–Lipshitz–Sarkar homotopy type for links in thickened higher genus surfaces

Abstract

We discuss links in thickened surfaces. We define the Khovanov–Lipshitz–Sarkar stable homotopy type and the Steenrod square for the homotopical Khovanov homology of links in thickened surfaces with genus [Formula: see text]. A surface means a closed oriented surface unless otherwise stated. Of course, a surface may or may not be the sphere. A thickened surface means a product manifold of a surface and the interval. A link in a thickened surface (respectively, a 3-manifold) means a submanifold of a thickened surface (respectively, a 3-manifold) which is diffeomorphic to a disjoint collection of circles. Our Khovanov–Lipshitz–Sarkar stable homotopy type and our Steenrod square of links in thickened surfaces with genus [Formula: see text] are stronger than the homotopical Khovanov homology of links in thickened surfaces with genus [Formula: see text]. It is the first meaningful Khovanov–Lipshitz–Sarkar stable homotopy type of links in 3-manifolds other than the 3-sphere. We point out that our theory has a different feature in the torus case.