Partially Multiplicative Biquandles and Handlebody-Knots

Abstract

We introduce several algebraic structures related to handlebody-knots, including $G$-families of biquandles, partially multiplicative biquandles and group decomposable biquandles. These structures can be used to color the semiarcs in $Y$-oriented spatial trivalent graph diagrams representing $S^1$-oriented handlebody-knots to obtain computable invariants for handlebody-knots and handlebody-links. In the case of $G$-families of biquandles, we enhance the counting invariant using the group $G$ to obtain a polynomial invariant of handlebody-knots.

16 pages; version 2 includes small typo corrections. To appear in Contemporary Mathematics