简介:TheConwaypotentialfunction(CPF)forcoloredlinksisaconvenientversionofthemultivariableAlexander–Conwaypolynomial.WegiveaskeincharacterizationofCPF,muchsimplerthantheonebyMurakami.Inparticular,Conway’s"smoothingofcrossings"isnotintheaxioms.Theproofusesareductionschemeinatwistedgroup-algebraP_nB_n,whereB_nisabraidgroupandP_nisadomainofmulti-variablerationalfractions.Theproofdoesnotusecomputeralgebratools.Aninterestingby-productisacharacterizationoftheAlexander–Conwaypolynomialofknots.