On the Conway potential function introduced by Kauffman

Abstract

We show two results about the Conway potential function which is known as the normalized multivariable Alexander polynomial. We first show that the Conway potential function introduced by Kauffman in "Formal Knot Theory" is indeed a link invariant. Next we show that Kauffman's potential function equals Hartley's potential function. We will prove it by using Murakami's axioms for the multivariable Alexander polynomial.