Lower bounds for the unknotting numbers of certain iterated torus knots (Q1085836)

The author has previously given a lower bound for the unknotting number of certain torus knots [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 86, 519-524 (1982; Zbl 0507.57003)]. Milnor conjectured that the unknotting number of algebraic knots, of which these are examples, must be equal to the genus; the bound given by the author is approximately half the genus. This paper extends his previous result to a class of iterated torus knots which are also algebraic knots.