Khovanov homology and rational unknotting

Building on the work by Alishahi–Dowlin, we extract a new knot invariant λ ≥ 0 from universal Khovanov homology. While λ is a lower bound for the unknotting number, in fact more is true: λ is a lower bound for the proper rational unknotting number (the minimal number of rational tangle replacements preserving connectivity necessary to relate a knot to the unknot). Moreover, we show that, for all n≥ 0 , there exists a knot K with λ(K) = n . Along the way, following Thompson, we compute the Bar-Natan complexes of rational tangles.