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CounterexampleConstruction: Literature-sourcedVerification: AI-adaptedPipeline-generatedjudge pass (gpt-6-luna)verified 2026-10-22 (gpt-6.1-sol)
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Vanishing tau does not imply smooth sliceness

Statement refuted

Assume the Axiom of Countable Choice. The universal implication that a knot with τ(K)=0 is smoothly slice is false. Let s(K)=smax⁡(K)−1, where smax⁡(K) is the maximal quantum filtration level of a nonzero class in rational Lee homology. In the twist convention of Hedden and Ording, with two full right-handed twists, the positive-clasped Whitehead double D+(T2,3,2) has τ=0 and s=2, so its smooth four-ball genus is at least one and it is not smoothly slice.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: The Axiom of Countable Choice, the universal implication, and the specified positive-clasped, two-full-twist Whitehead double in Hedden and Ording's convention.

[A1]

The Axiom of Countable Choice (ACω) is the axiom assumption retained in the Statement.

[F1]

External input, authorized by the run-specific source boundary. Hedden and Ording, The Ozsváth–Szabó and Rasmussen concordance invariants are not equal, Theorem 1.1, printed p. 2, states τ(D+(T2,3,2))=0 and s(D+(T2,3,2))=2 for the two-twisted positive Whitehead double of the right-handed trefoil. Their Figure 1 specifies the twist box as full right-handed twists. The theorem states both values. Section 2.1, printed p. 4, reports a computer-computed Khovanov Poincaré polynomial: its homological-degree-zero support forces s∈{2,4}, and the genus-one upper bound together with Rasmussen's inequality forces s=2. The acknowledgments on printed p. 3 credit Rasmussen with the s computations. This is a published derivation using computer output, not a reproduced Lee chain-complex computation; the numerical theorem is imported here.

[F2]

External input, authorized by the run-specific source boundary. Rasmussen, Khovanov homology and the slice genus, Theorem 1 in §1, PDF p. 1, states ∣s(K)∣≤2g4(K) for every knot, where g4 is the minimum genus of a smooth properly embedded surface in B4. The source proof in §4.4 derives this from the filtered Lee cobordism map; I read that proof. This is the same smooth genus convention as Smooth and topological slice genus.

[F3]

The Alexander filtration and tau level uses the same normalized threshold convention for the standard Ozsváth–Szabó invariant in [F1]. The target total homology is one-dimensional, so nonzero image agrees with Hom's surjective-inclusion convention.

[F4]

The s in [F1] is Rasmussen's standard integer obtained from rational Lee homology with the convention s=smax⁡−1 stated in the Statement. The external Theorem 1 in [F2] uses this normalization; no local Lee-map proof is used here.

[F5]

Smooth and topological slice genus defines g4sm by minimizing the genera of smooth connected oriented properly embedded surfaces in B4 with boundary the knot.

[F6]

External input, authorized by the run-specific source boundary. Hom, A survey on Heegaard Floer homology and concordance, §3.1, Theorem 3.1(1), printed p. 8, identifies the standard τ defined by the same normalized threshold as a knot-concordance homomorphism. The survey's coefficient convention is stated on printed p. 2. I read the threshold definition and theorem statement; I do not claim to reconstruct the cited proof.

Proof

Given: Countable Choice, the proposed implication, and the Whitehead double in the Statement.

1.1A1F1F2F3F4F5F6givenalgebra

By [F1], the specified knot has τ=0 and s=2. The smooth genus bound [F2] gives 2=∣s∣≤2g4sm. Since g4sm is a nonnegative integer, it is at least one.

2.1F5step 1.1algebra∎

A smoothly slice knot bounds a smooth properly embedded disk in the four-ball and has g4sm=0. This contradicts step 1.1 for the specified knot, proving that the universal implication is false.

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