A slice Cromwell inequality of homogeneous links

Abstract

Cromwell proved that the minimum $v$-degree of the HOMFLY polynomial of homogeneous link $L$ is bounded above by $1-\chi(L)$, where $\chi(L)$ is the maximum Euler characteristic of Seifert surfaces of $L$. We prove its slice version, stating that the minimum $v$-degree of the HOMFLY polynomial of homogeneous link $L$ is bounded above by $1-\chi_4(L)$, the maximum 4-dimensional Euler characteristic of $L$. As a byproduct, we prove a conjecture of Stoimenow that for an alternating link, the minimum $v$-degree of the HOMFLY polynomial is smaller than or equal to its signature.