A Table of Handcuff Graphs

with up to Seven Crossings

Hiromasa MORIUCHI
Abstract
We enumerate all prime handcuff graphs with up to seven crossings by
extending Conways method. These handcuff graphs are mutually distinguished by the Yamada polynomial.

Introduction

A spatial graph is a graph embedded in S 3 , and two spatial graphs G, G are

equivalent if there is a homeomorphism h : (S 3 , G) (S 3 , G ). There exist
earlier studies on tabulation of spatial graphs as follows: In [1], J. H. Conway
enumerated prime knots with up to eleven crossings, and links with up to ten
crossings. In [16], J. Simon enumerated -curves with up to five crossings, and
K4 graphs with up to four crossings. In [9], R. Litherland announced a table of
prime -curves with up to seven crossings. However, there is no published proof
of the completeness of his table. In [10], the author enumerated all the prime curves with up to seven crossings by extending Conways method. These -curves
are the exactly same ones as in Litherlands.
In this paper we enumerate all prime handcuff graphs with up to seven crossings by extending Conways method. The following are our main results.
Theorem 1.1. Table 1 lists all prime handcuff graphs with up to seven crossings.
Theorem 1.2. There exist only three achiral handcuff graphs in Table 1 : 21 , 61 ,
and 717 .
The handcuff graphs in Table 1 are listed in order of increasing crossing number and their constituent links.
1

Table 1: Prime handcuff graphs with up to seven crossings.

This paper is organized as follows: In Section 2, we give some definitions

for a handcuff graph. In Section 3, we introduce the concept of a prime basic
-polyhedron. In Section 4, we classify the handcuff graphs in Table 1 by the
Yamada polynomials and consider the chirality of these handcuff graphs.

Handcuff graphs

A handcuff graph is a graph embedded in S 3 consisting of two vertices (v1 , v2 )

and three edges (e1 , e2 , e3 ), where e3 has distinct endpoints v1 and v2 , and e1 and
e2 are loops based at v1 and v2 , respectively. A constituent link 12 is a subgraph
of that consists of two vertices (v1 , v2 ) and two edges (e1 , e2 ). A handcuff graph
is said to be trivial if it can be embedded in a 2-sphere in S 3 .
Let be a handcuff graph and a 2-sphere which decomposes S 3 into 3-balls
B1 , B2 . If consists of a single point w, and neither ( w) B1 nor
( w) B2 is empty, then is called an admissible sphere of type I for . If
consists of two points, and the annulus A = \ IntN (; S 3 ) is essential in
S 3 \ IntN (; S 3 ), then is called an admissible sphere of type II for ; cf. [17].
If consists of three points, and neither B1 nor B2 is an unknotted
bouquet (Fig. 1), then is called an admissible sphere of type III for ; cf. [2].
By an admissible sphere, we mean either an admissible sphere of type I, II, or III.

Fig. 1: An unknotted bouquet.

Definition 2.1. A handcuff graph is said to be prime if is nontrivial and does
not have an admissible sphere.
For example, handcuff graphs in Fig. 2 (a),(b),(c) have admissible spheres of
types I, II, III, respectively. Therefore, these handcuff graphs are nonprime.

Fig. 2: Nonprime handcuff graphs.

Prime basic -polyhedra

In this section, we introduce the concept of a prime basic -polyhedron in order

to enumerate prime handcuff graphs.
Let P be a connected planar graph. Then P is called a -polyhedron if its
two vertices are 3-valent and the other vertices are 4-valent. A -polyhedron P
is said to be basic if it contains no loop and no bigon.
Remark . If P contains a loop, then P produces a handcuff graph diagram which
has an admissible sphere of type I or II (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3: Admissible spheres.

Remark . If P contains a bigon, then a handcuff graph diagram obtained from P

is also obtained from another polyhedron P with fewer 4-valent vertices than P .
In fact, adding two algebraic tangles, we obtain another algebraic tangle (Fig. 4).

Fig. 4: The sum of algebraic tangles.

Let C be a circle which decomposes S 2 into 2-disks D1 , D2 . If C meets P in

less than or equal to three points, and both P D1 and P D2 contain 4-valent
vertices, then C is called a cutting circle for P (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5: Nonprime -polyhedra.

Definition 3.1. A -polyhedron P is said to be prime if P does not have a

cutting circle.

Remark . A nonprime P produces a nonprime handcuff graph. However, a prime

basic P may produce a nonprime handcuff graph; see Table 3.
In [10], we constructed a prime basic -polyhedron. We consider two types
of P : type- and type-. Here, a type- P has adjacent 3-valent vertices,

and a type- P does not have adjacent 3-valent vertices. From now on, 4-valent
vertices will be denoted by
or in the figures.
We obtained the following theorems ([10]):
Theorem 3.2. There exist seven type- prime basic -polyhedra with up to seven
4-valent vertices as in Fig. 6.

Fig. 6:
(a) 11 a
(e) 72 a.b.c.d.e.f.g

(b) 51 a.b.c.d.e
(f) 73 a.b.c.d.e.f.g

(c) 61 a.b.c.d.e.f
(g) 74 a.b.c.d.e.f.g

(d) 71 a.b.c.d.e.f.g

Theorem 3.3. There exist seventeen type- prime basic -polyhedra with up to
seven 4-valent vertices as in Fig. 7.

Fig. 7:
(a) 31 a.b.c
(e) 62 a.b.c.d.e.f
(h) 71 a.b.c.d.e.f.g
(l) 75 a.b.c.d.e.f.g
(o) 78 a.b.c.d.e.f.g

(c) 51 a.b.c.d.e
(g) 64 a.b.c.d.e.f
(j) 73 a.b.c.d.e.f.g
(n) 77 a.b.c.d.e.f.g
(q) 710
a.b.c.d.e.f.g

(b) 41 a.b.c.d
(f) 63 a.b.c.d.e.f
(i) 72 a.b.c.d.e.f.g
(m) 76 a.b.c.d.e.f.g
(p) 79 a.b.c.d.e.f.g
7

(d) 61 a.b.c.d.e.f
(k) 74 a.b.c.d.e.f.g

Conclusion

From Theorems 3.2 and 3.3, we can obtain all prime handcuff graph diagrams
from prime basic P by substituting algebraic tangles ([1]) for their 4-valent vertices. We note that the vertex corresponds to a tangle T , and corresponds to
the mirror image of T .
We introduce the following invariant due to Yamada ([20]) in order to classify
these handcuff graphs up to ambient isotopy.
Definition 4.1. Let g be a spatial graph diagram. Then R(g) Z[x1 ] is defined
by the following recursive formulas:
(1) R() = 1, where denotes the empty graph,
( )
( )
( )
( )
(2) R
= xR
+ x1 R
+R
,
(
(3) R

(
=R

(
+R

)
, where e is a nonloop edge,

(4) R(g1 g2 ) = R(g1 )R(g2 ), where g1 g2 denotes the disjoint union of spatial
graph diagrams g1 and g2 ,
(5) R(Bn ) = (x 1 x1 )n , where B
(n is)the n-leafed bouquet.
= R(B1 ) = x + 1 + x1 .
In particular, R() = R(B0 ) = 1, R

Theorem 4.2. If g is a diagram of a spatial graph whose maximum degree is less

than 4, then R(g) is ambient isotopy invariant of g up to multiplying (x)n for
some integer n.
We call R(g) the Yamada polynomial. We can show that handcuff graphs
in Table 1 are mutually distinct by investigating their constituent links and the
Yamada polynomial; see Table 2.
We can also compute the Yamada polynomial of a handcuff graph by the following way. In [21], Yamada introduced a polynomial invariant for a 3-regular
spatial graph with some good weight , which is the linear combination of
the bracket polynomial. First, we mention the Temperley-Lieb algebra. The mth
Temperley-Lieb algebra Vm is an algebra over the field of complex numbers C
8

generated by the elements 1m , 1 , . . . , m1 and the following relations:

(TL1) i j = j i if |i j| 2,
(TL2) 2i = i where = q q 1 and q C,
(TL3) i i1 i = i .
The elements 1m and i diagrammatically appear as in Fig. 8.

Fig. 8: The elements 1m and i .

For any non-negative integer m, we set
[m] =

q m q m
.
q q 1

Then we define elements gn and fn of Vm by

1
gn =
[j]j . . . n1 ,
[n] j=1
n

fn = gn gn1 . . . g1 .
The elements gn and fn hold the following recursive formulas,
[n]
gn n + 1,
[n + 1]
= gn+1 fn .

gn+1 =
fn+1

By induction, it follows easily that gn 1 and fn 1 are elements in the

proper subalgebra A(1 , . . . , n1 ) generated by 1 , . . . , n1 . So that, gn and fn
are commute with n+1 , . . . , m1 .
The following lemma is given by Wenzl ([18]), Lickorish ([8]), and Yamada
([21]).
9

Lemma 4.3. fn is the unique element in Vm which is generated by 1, 1 , 2 , . . . , n1

and holds the following:
(E1) i fn = fn i = 0, for all i n 1,
(E2) fn2 = fn .
We call fn the magic knitting of degree n.
Let be a 3-regular graph and : E() Z+ be a positive integer valued
map. We say is a good weight on if the following conditions are satisfied. For
each vertex of , if e1 , e2 , and e3 are the edges incident with the vertex, then
(V1) (e1 ) + (e2 ) + (e3 ) Z2 ,
(V2) |(e1 ) (e2 )| (e3 ) (e1 ) + (e2 ).
From now on, we consider the case (e) = 2 for each edge e. Let be a good
weight on a spatial 3-regular graph and be a diagram of . Then is defined
as the linear combination of link diagrams derived from :
(W1) Parallelize each edge e by the weight (e) and immerse the magic knitting
of degree (e) as in Fig. 9(a).
(W2) Connect those parallelized edges at each vertex as in Fig. 9(b).

(a)

(b)
Fig. 9: How to make .
The bracket polynomial l Z[A1 ] of a non-oriented link diagram l is
10

defined by the following formulas (originally introduced in [6]):

(B1) = A2 A2 ,
(B2) l = (A2 A2 )l,



(B3)
=A
+ A1
.
Yamada ([21]) defined by the linear extension of the bracket polynomial,
and gave a relation between and R().
Lemma 4.4. Let be a diagram of a spatial 3-regular graph with the good
weight defined (e) = 2 for each edge e. Then
(A) = ()() R()(A4 ),
where = A2 A2 and () the Euler characteristic of .
We assume is a handcuff graph . Then we can describe concretely.
Here, the magic knitting of degree 2 is decomposed as follows:

=
1
.
(1)
Since () = 1, we obtain the following proposition.
Proposition 4.5. For a handcuff graph diagram and its constituent link diagram
12 , let (2) be the link diagram obtained from by parallelizing each edge, and
(2)
12 be the link diagram obtained from 12 by (2, 0)-cabling. Then
(2)

R()(x) = (2) (x1/4 ) + 12 (x1/4 ),

where = x1/2 x1/2 .

Proof. From Lemma 4.4, we obtain the following equation:

R()(x) = () (x1/4 ),

11

(2)

where = x1/2 x1/2 . Assume 12 = 1 2 , then we can describe

concretely by using the equation (1):
( (2)
(2)
(2) )
= (2) 1 12 + 1 + 2
( (2)
)
(2)
+ 2 1 + 2 + 3
= (2) 1 12 .
(2)

Then we replace in the equation (2) with the above.

By using Proposition 4.5 and KNOT program ([7]), we compute the Yamada
polynomial of all the prime handcuff graphs with up to seven crossings immediately; Table 2. For example, the entry for 21 appears as follows:
21

{-4} (1 1 1 1 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1),

which means that R(21 ) = x4 + x3 + x2 + x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 . From

Theorem 4.2, we note that there is ambiguity for degrees and coefficients of the
Yamada polynomial.
Table 2: The Yamada polynomial of handcuff graphs with up to seven crossings.

21
41
51
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
71
72
73
74

R()
{-4} (1 1 1 1 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1)
{-6} (1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 -1 0 -1 0 -1 -1 0 -1)
{-8} (1 0 -1 1 0 -1 1 0 -1 0 -1 0 -1 0 2 -1 1 1 -1)
{-10} (1 -1 -3 2 0 -3 3 1 -1 1 0 1 -1 1 3 -3 2 -3 -1 1)
{-9} (1 1 0 0 0 -1 -2 0 -1 -1 0 -1 0 -1 1 1 0 2 1)
{-11} (1 -1 0 3 -2 0 1 -2 -1 -2 0 -1 -1 2 0 -1 2 1 -1 1 1)
{-10} (1 0 -1 1 1 -1 2 2 0 1 -1 0 -2 -1 1 -2 0 1 -1 -1 )
{-8} (1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0 -1 0 -1 0 0 -1 0 -1)
{-10} (2 0 1 1 -1 0 -1 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 -1 -2 -1 -1 -1 -1)
{-10} (1 0 0 2 1 -1 2 0 -1 1 -1 1 -1 1 1 -2 0 0 -2 -1 0 -1)
{-10} (1 0 0 3 0 -1 3 -1 -1 1 -1 0 -2 0 0 -3 1 1 -2 1 1 -1)
{-9} (-2 -1 1 -3 -2 2 -2 0 3 1 2 0 2 0 -3 2 0 -2 2 1 -1)
{-12} (1 -2 -1 6 -4 -4 7 -4 -4 3 0 0 -1 4 2 -5 5 3 -7 2 3 -4 -1 1)
{-10} (1 2 -2 -1 3 -3 -1 2 -1 0 -1 1 -1 -2 3 0 -2 2 1 -2 0 1)
{-11} (1 0 -2 2 2 -3 1 3 -3 0 2 -1 0 -1 2 -2 -3 4 -2 -2 3 0 -1)
{-12} (1 -2 -2 5 -2 -3 7 -1 -2 3 0 0 -2 2 1 -6 2 2 -6 1 3 -2 0 1)
12

Table 2: The Yamada polynomial of handcuff graphs with up to seven crossings

(continued).

75
76
77
78
79
710
711
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736

R()
{-11} (1 0 -1 1 1 -1 0 2 -2 -1 0 -2 -1 -2 1 -1 -1 3 0 0 2 1)
{-13} (1 -1 1 2 -4 2 2 -2 1 0 0 -3 -2 0 -3 -1 3 0 -1 3 1 -1 1 1)
{-12} (1 -1 -2 3 -1 -4 3 -1 -3 1 0 1 -1 2 3 -3 2 3 -3 0 2 -1 -1)
{-12} (1 -1 -1 5 -2 -4 6 -2 -3 3 0 0 -2 2 1 -5 3 3 -5 1 3 -3 -1 1)
{-9} (1 1 -1 0 0 -1 0 0 1 0 0 1 -1 0 1 0 0 0 0 -1 -1)
{-10} (1 1 0 0 1 0 -1 1 1 -1 1 1 -1 0 -1 0 -2 -1 1 -2 0 1)
{-12} (1 -1 0 4 -2 -2 5 -2 -2 3 0 1 -1 2 0 -5 2 0 -5 1 2 -2 0 1)
{-11} (1 0 -3 2 3 -4 1 5 -3 0 3 -1 0 -1 3 -2 -4 5 -2 -4 3 0 -2)
{-11} (1 1 -2 -1 2 -2 -3 3 -1 -2 1 -1 0 -2 2 1 -3 3 2 -2 1 2)
{-11} (1 0 -2 0 1 -3 -1 3 -2 0 2 0 1 0 3 0 -2 3 -1 -3 1 0 -1)
{-10} (1 1 -1 0 2 -1 -2 2 0 -3 1 0 -2 0 0 1 -2 1 3 -3 1 2 -1)
{-11} (1 -1 -3 2 2 -4 2 5 -4 0 2 -2 -1 -1 3 -2 -2 6 -2 -3 4 0 -2)
{-9} (-2 -1 1 -1 -2 2 -1 -2 1 -1 1 -1 2 1 -2 2 1 -1 1 2)
{-10} (1 0 -1 1 0 -2 0 0 -2 0 1 -1 0 1 0 0 -1 2 0 -1 3 -1 0 1 -1)
{-10} (1 0 -1 1 1 -1 1 2 -1 0 1 -1 -1 0 -1 -1 -2 1 0 -2 3 0 0 1 -1)
{-12} (-1 2 0 -3 3 -1 -2 2 1 1 0 2 1 -3 0 1 -3 0 2 -1 -1 1 0 -1)
{-11} (2 -2 -2 4 -3 -2 2 -1 -1 -1 2 0 -2 3 1 -3 2 2 -2 0 2 0 -1)
{-12} (1 -1 -1 3 -2 -2 4 -3 -2 2 -2 0 -1 2 1 -3 3 1 -3 2 2 -2 1 1 -1)
{-11} (1 -1 -2 2 0 -3 3 2 -3 3 1 -1 1 0 2 -3 -1 3 -4 -1 3 -2 0 1 -1)
{-12} (1 -1 0 3 -3 -1 5 -2 4 -1 0 -2 0 -2 -5 3 0 -3 3 2 -2 1 1 -1)
{-11} (-1 2 1 -5 2 3 -6 1 3 -3 0 0 2 -2 -1 6 -3 -2 5 -1 -3 2 1 -1)
{-12} (1 0 0 2 -2 -1 3 -3 -1 2 -2 0 -1 1 0 -2 3 0 -2 2 1 -2 1 1 -1)
{-11} (-1 1 1 -3 2 3 -4 1 2 -3 0 0 2 -1 -1 4 -3 -2 3 -1 -2 2 1 -1)
{-10} (1 0 -1 2 1 -2 1 1 -3 -1 1 -2 -1 1 0 0 -1 3 -2 4 -1 -1 1 -1)
{-12} (-1 2 -1 -3 5 -1 -2 3 0 -1 -2 1 0 -3 2 2 -3 1 3 -2 -1 2 0 -1)
{-11} (1 -1 -2 3 -1 -4 4 1 -4 4 2 -1 2 1 3 -3 0 4 -6 -1 3 -4 -1 1 -1)
{-10} (-2 0 4 -3 -2 6 -1 -3 6 1 -2 2 0 0 -5 2 3 -7 3 3 -5 0 1 -1)
{-11} (-2 1 2 -6 0 4 -7 0 4 -2 1 1 4 -1 -2 6 -2 -4 5 0 -4 2 1 -1)
{-11} (1 -2 -2 5 -2 -5 7 0 -6 5 1 -3 1 1 2 -5 1 6 -8 1 6 -5 0 2 -1)
{-11} (-2 3 4 -8 2 6 -10 0 5 -3 0 2 5 -2 -3 8 -4 -7 7 -1 -6 3 2 -1)
{-11} (-1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 -1)
{-12} (-1 0 1 0 0 1 1 -1 1 0 -1 0 -1 0 -2 0 1 -1 1 1)
13

Moreover, we consider the chirality of handcuff graphs. A spatial graph is said

to be achiral if is isotopic to its mirror image, and is said to be chiral if is
not achiral. In [20], S. Yamada also gave the following proposition:
Proposition 4.6. Let be the mirror image of a spatial graph diagram . Then
R()(x) = R()(x1 ).
From Theorem 4.2 and Proposition 4.6, we can conclude almost all handcuff
graphs in Table 1 are chiral.
For example, R(41 ) = x6 + x5 + x4 + x3 + x2 x2 x4 x6 x7 x9 .
So R(41 ) = x9 x7 x6 x4 x2 + x2 + x3 + x4 + x5 + x6 . Then, for
arbitrary integer n, R(41 ) = (x)n R(41 ). Thus the handcuff graph 41 is chiral.
On the other hand, we prove that the handcuff graphs 21 , 61 , and 717 are achiral
by deformations as in Fig. 10.
Finally, we give some open problems.
Problem 4.7. Are all of the handcuff graphs in Table 1 prime?
We hope so, but we do not know how to conclude the primeness of a handcuff
graph. When making Table 1, we omit handcuff graphs which can be decomposed
obviously. More generally, we give the following.
Problem 4.8. Develop the way of decision whether a handcuff graph is prime or
not.

14

Fig. 10: The handcuff graphs 21 , 61 , and 717 are achiral.

15

Appendix
We give an enumeration of handcuff graphs with up to seven crossings by using our notation. Links in the second column correspond to Rolfsens knot table
([15]), and handcuff graphs in the last column correspond to Table 1. A link L
and a handcuff graph denote mirror images of L and , respectively. Moreover,
#n (n = 2, 3) denotes an order n vertex connected sum ([19]), and 31 (resp. 41 )
denotes the -curve 31 (resp. 41 ) ([11]).
Table 3: Handcuff graphs with up to seven crossings.
notation
constituent link handcuff graph
1
1 2
221
21
1
1 4
421
41
1
2
1 2 1 2
51
51
1
2
1 6
61
65
11 3 3
622
67
1
2
1 2 2 2
63
68
1
2
61
66
1 3, 3
1
2
1 2 1, 2 1
63
69
1
2

41
41
3 2 0.2.1
31 2 0.2.1
021
21 #3 21
31 2 0.2 0.2
221
62
1
2

64
3 2 1 0.2 0.1
41
41 3.1.1.1
221
62
1
2
21
63
4 3 0.1.1.1
1
2
4 3 0.1.1.1
64
41
1
2
4 2.2.1.1
41
64
1
2
4 2 0.2.1.1
21
63
1
2
21
62
4 2 0.2.1.1
41 2 0.1.1.2 0
021
61
1
2
41
64
4 2 0.1.1.2 0
2
1
61
01
6 1.1.1.1.1.1
2
3
51
51
6 1.1.1.1.1.1
21 #3 31
221
63 1.1.1.1.1.1
21 #3 31
221
63 1.1.1.1.1.1

16

Table 3: Handcuff graphs with up to seven crossings (continued).

notation
constituent link handcuff graph
1
1 4 1 2
721
718
1
2
1 2 1 4
71
719
726
723
11 2 3 2
1
2
1 3 1 1 2
72
722
1
2
1 2 1 1 3
72
723
1
2
1 2 1 1, 3
71
720
11 2 2, 2 1
723
721
11 3, 2 1+
722
724
1
2
74
728
1 (3, 2) 2
1
2

1 (3, 2) 2
77
735
11 (3, 2) 2
736
728
1
2
1 (2 1, 2) 2
75
730
1
2
78
736
1 (2 1, 2) 2
1
2
3 2 2.2.1
51
714
1
2
3 2 1.2.2
21
63
1
2

3 2 1.2.2
21
77
31 2 1.2.2
221
77
1
2

73
3 2 1.2.2
21
64
31 3.2 0.2
421
1
2
3 3 0.2 0.2
41
710
1
2

3 3 0.2 0.2
64
41
1
2

75
3 2 1 0.2 0.2
21
41 2 1 1.1.1.1
221
73
1
2
4 2 1 1 0.1.1.1
21
74
714
41 2 1 1 0.1.1.1
521
41 3.2 0.1.1
421
710
1
2
41
711
4 3 0.2 0.1.1
2
1
21
4 3 0.2 0.1.1
77
77
221
41 2 1.2.1.1
1
2
4 2 1 0.2.1.1
41
711
1
2
4 2 1 0.2.1.1
41
710
2
1
75
21
4 3.2.1.1

17

Table 3: Handcuff graphs with up to seven crossings (continued).

notation
constituent link handcuff graph
1
4 3 0.2.1.1
221
76
2
1
21
4 3 0.2.1.1
75
1
2
4 2 1.1.1.2 0
41
712
1
2

4 2 1.1.1.2 0
51
714
1
2
4 2.2 1 0.1.1
51
714
41 2 0.2 1 0.1.1
221
74
1
2
4 2 0.2 1 0.1.1
21
73
1
2
4 2 0.2.2.1
41
711
1
2
4 2 0.2.2.1
01
72
41 2 0.2.2 0.1
221
76
1
2
4 2 0.2.2 0.1
21
79
41 2.2 0.1.2 0
521
715
41 2.2 0.1.2 0
421
710
1
2
4 2 0.2.1.2 0
21
78
41 2 0.2.1.2 0
221
77
1
2
75
4 2 0.2.1.2 0
21
1
2

4 2 0.2.1.2 0
21
21 #3 31
725
731
51 2.2.1.1.1
1
2

5 2.2.1.1.1
78
736
1
2
5 2.2.1.1.1
735
77
51 2.1.2.1.1
725
732
1
2

736
5 2.1.2.1.1
78
1
2
5 2.1.2.1.1
63
69
1
2

5 2.1.2.1.1
51
51
51 2.1.1.2 0.1
722
725
51 2.1.1.2 0.1
622
717
1
2
5 2 0.1.2.1.1
74
729
735
727
51 2 0.1.2.1.1
1
2
5 2 0.2 0.1.1.1
721
71
2
1

717
62
5 2 0.2 0.1.1.1
221
51 2 1 0.1.1.1.1
77
2
1
77
21
5 2 1 0.1.1.1.1
2
1
72
01
5 2 0.2 0.1.1.1
421
51 2 0.2 0.1.1.1
713
18

Table 3: Handcuff graphs with up to seven crossings (continued).

notation
constituent link handcuff graph
1
5 2 0.1.2 0.1.1
221
77
2
1
21
73
5 2 0.1.2 0.1.1
1
2

5 2 0.1.2 0.1.1
21
21 #3 31
1
2
5 2 0.1.2 0.1.1
21
62
1
2
5 2 0.1.1.2 0.1
21
73
1
2
5 2 0.1.1.2 0.1
21
77
62
51 2 0.1.1.2 0.1
221
51 2 0.1.1.2 0.1
221
21 #3 31
51 2 0.1.1.1.2 0
421
713
1
2
5 2 0.1.1.1.2 0
01
72
1
2
5 1.2 0.2 0.1.1
63
69
1
2
41
64
5 1.2 0.2 0.1.1
51 1.2 0.2 0.1.1
521
51
1
2
51
51
5 1.2 0.2 0.1.1
1
2
5 1.1.1.2 0.2 0
63
69
1
2
51
51
5 1.1.1.2 0.2 0
1
2

5 1.1.1.2 0.2 0
64
41
51 1.1.1.2 0.2 0
521
51
1
2
5 1.1.2.1.2 0
62
717
1
2
5 1.2 0.1.2.1
62
717
61 2.1.1.1.1.1
726
733
1
2
6 2.1.1.1.1.1
21
21 #3 31
61 2.1.1.1.1.1
728
736
1
2
6 2.1.1.1.1.1
21 #2 31
21 #3 31
61 2.1.1.1.1.1
021
71
1
2
6 2.1.1.1.1.1
01
72
61 1.1.2.1.1.1
221
78
1
2
51
716
6 2 0.1.1.1.1.1
2
1
21
6 1.1.2 0.1.1.1
78
62
221
61 1.1.2 0.1.1.1
2
2
21
6 1.2.1.1.1.1
77
2
2
72
01
6 1.1.2.1.1.1
221
62 1.1.1.2 0.1.1
73
2
2

21
6 1.1.1.2 0.1.1
62
19

Table 3: Handcuff graphs with up to seven crossings (continued).

notation
constituent link handcuff graph
3
6 1.1.1.1.1.2
021
72
3
2

6 1.1.1.1.1.2
21
21 #3 41
2
3
21 #3 41
01
6 1.1.1.1.1.2
3
2
6 1.1.1.1.1.2
21
21 #3 31
63 1.1.1.2 0.1.1
221
21 #3 41
63 1.1.1.2 0.1.1
221
21 #3 41
3
2
6 1.1.1.1.1.2 0
01
72
3
2

6 1.1.1.1.1.2 0
01
21 #3 41
63 1.1.1.1.1.2 0
221
21 #3 41
63 1.1.1.1.1.2 0
221
21 #3 31
4
2
6 2.1.1.1.1.1
63
21
4
2
6 2.1.1.1.1.1
21
21
4
2

6 2.1.1.1.1.1
21
21 #3 31
4
2
6 2.1.1.1.1.1
41
41
4
2

6 2.1.1.1.1.1
21
21 #3 31
64 2.1.1.1.1.1
021
trivial
4
2

41
64
6 2.1.1.1.1.1
4
2
6 2.1.1.1.1.1
51
51
64 1.2.1.1.1.1
021
61
64
64 1.2.1.1.1.1
421
4
2

6 1.2.1.1.1.1
62
41
64 1.2.1.1.1.1
521
51
726
734
73 1.1.1.1.1.1.1
3
2

7 1.1.1.1.1.1.1
735
77
73 1.1.1.1.1.1.1
727
735
3
2
7 1.1.1.1.1.1.1
78
736
2
2
7 1.1.1.1.1.1.1
71
01
2
2
21 #3 31
21
7 1.1.1.1.1.1.1
221
72 1.1.1.1.1.1.1
79
2
21 #3 21 #3 21
021
7 1.1.1.1.1.1.1
77 1.1.1.1.1.1.1
521
51
7
2
7 1.1.1.1.1.1.1
41
64

20

Acknowledgement
The author would like to thank Professor Taizo Kanenobu and Professor Akio
Kawauchi for their valuable advice and encouragement.

References
[1] J. H. Conway, An enumeration of knots and links, and some of their algebraic properties, Computational Problems in Abstract Algebra (Proc. Conf.
Oxford 1967), Pergamon Press, 1969, 329358.
[2] H. Goda, Bridge index for the theta curves in the 3-sphere, Topology Appl.
79 (1997) 177196.
[3] T. Harikae, On rational and pseudo-rational -curves in the 3-sphere, Kobe
J. Math. 7 (1990) 125138.
[4] T. Harikae, On the triviality of bouquets and tunnel number one links, Interdiscip. Inform. Sci, 7 (2001), no.1, 13.
[5] L. H. Kauffman, State models and the Jones polynomial, Topology 26
(1987) 395407.
[6] L. H. Kauffman, Invariants of graphs in three-space, Trans. Amer. Math.
Soc. 311 (1989) 697710.
[7] K. Kodama, KNOT program, available from
http://www.math.kobe-u.ac.jp/kodama/knot.html.
[8] W. B. R. Lickorish, Three-manifolds and the Temperley-Lieb algebra,
Math. Ann. 290 (1991), no. 4, 657670.
[9] R. A. Litherland, A table of all prime theta-curves in S 3 up to 7 crossings,
a letter, 1989.
[10] H. Moriuchi, An enumeration of theta-curves with up to 7 crossings (in
Japanese), Masters Thesis, Osaka City Univ., 2004.
[11] H. Moriuchi, Enumeration of algebraic tangles with applications to thetacurves and handcuff graphs, Kyungpook Mathematical Journal (to appear).

21

[12] H. Moriuchi, An enumeration of theta-curves with up to seven crossings,

submitted.
[13] T. Motohashi, A prime decomposition theorem for n -curves in S 3 , Topology Appl. 83 (1998) 203211.
[14] T. Motohashi, Prime decompositions of a n -curves in S 3 , Topology Appl.
93 (1999) 161172.
[15] D. Rolfsen, Knots and Links, Berkeley, Calif., Publish or Perish, Inc., 1976.
[16] J. Simon, A topological approach to the stereochemistry on nonrigid
molecules, Studies in Physical and Theoretical Chemistry 51, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1987, 4375.
[17] S. Suzuki, A prime decomposition theorem for a graph in the 3-sphere,
Topology and Computer Science, Kinokuniya, Tokyo, 1987, 259276.
[18] H. Wenzl, On sequences of projections, C. R. Math. Rep. Acad. Sci. Canada
9 (1987), no. 1, 59.
[19] K. Wolcott, The knotting of theta-curves and other graphs in S 3 , in: C. McCrory and T. Shifrin, Eds., Geometry and Topology: Manifolds, Varieties,
and Knots, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1987, 325346.
[20] S. Yamada, An invariant of spatial graphs, J. Graph Theory 13 (1989) 537
551.
[21] S. Yamada, A topological invariant of spatial regular graphs, Knots 90, Ed.
A. Kawauchi, de Gruyter, 1992, 447454.
[22] H. Yamano, Classification of tangles of 7 crossings or less (in Japanese),
Master Thesis, Tokyo Metrop. Univ., 2001.
Osaka City University, Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, Japan
moriuchi@sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp

22