Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 October 2008
We work throughout in the smooth category. Homomorphisms of fundamental and homology groups are induced by inclusion. An n-knot, form n ≥ 1, is an embedded n-sphere K ⊂ Sn+2. A Seifert manifold for K is a compact, connected, orientable (n + 1)-manifold V ⊂ Sn+2 with boundary ∂V = K. By [9] Seifert manifolds always exist. As in [9] let Y denote Sn+2 split along V; Y is a compact manifold with ∂Y = V0 ∪ V1, where Vt ≈ V. We say that V is a minimal Seifert manifold for K if π1Vt → π1Y is a monomorphism for t = 0, 1. (Here and throughout basepoint considerations are suppressed.)