An extended symmetric union and its Alexander polynomial

Abstract

For prime knots $K_1$ and $K_2$, we write $K_1 \geq K_2$ if there is an epimorphism from the knot group of $K_1$ to that of $K_2$ which preserves the meridian. We construct a family of pairs of knots with $K_1 \geq K_2$ such that an epimorphism maps the longitude of $K_1$ to the trivial element. This construction is regarded as an extension of a symmetric union with a single full twisted region. In particular, it extends a property of the Alexander polynomial of a symmetric union. We also exhibit that all but two of the knots up to ten crossings in the list of Kitano-Suzuki, which have an epimorphism mapping the longitude to the trivial element, arise from this construction.