We extend some part of the unpublished paper written by Mednykh and Rasskazov. Using the approach indicated in this paper we derive the Riley-Mednykh polynomial for some family of the $2$-bridge knot orbifolds. As a result we obtain explicit formulae for the volume of cone-manifolds and the Chern-Simons invariant of orbifolds of the knot with Conway's notation $C(2n,4)$.
We extend the Neumann's methods and give the explicit formulae for the volume and the Chern-Simons invariant for hyperbolic alternating knot orbifolds.
We calculate the Chern-Simons invariants of the hyperbolic double twist knot orbifolds using the Schläfli formula for the generalized Chern-Simons function on the family of cone-manifold structures of double twist knots.
We calculate the Chern-Simons invariants of the hyperbolic orbifolds of the knot with Conway's notation $C(2n, 3)$ using the Schläfli formula for the generalized Chern-Simons function on the family of $C(2n,3)$ cone-manifold structures. We present the concrete and explicit formula of them. We apply the general instructions of Hilden, Lozano, and Montesinos-Amilibia and extend the Ham and Lee's methods. As an application, we calculate the Chern-Simons invariants of cyclic coverings of the hyperbolic $C(2n,3)$ orbifolds.
We calculate the Chern-Simons invariants of the twist knot orbifolds using the Schläfli formula for the generalized Chern-Simons function on the family of the twist knot cone-manifold structures. Following the general instruction of Hilden, Lozano, and Montesinos-Amilibia, we here present the concrete formulae and calculations. We use the Pythagorean Theorem \cite{HMP} to relate the complex length of the longitude and the complex distance between the two axes fixed by two generators. As an application, we calculate the Chern-Simons invariants of cyclic coverings of the hyperbolic twist knot or…
We show that from the asymptotic behavior of an evaluation of the colored Jones polynomial of the figure-eight knot we can extract the Chern--Simons invariant and the twisted Reidemeister torsion associated with a representation of the fundamental group of the knot complement to the two-dimensional complex special linear group.
In this article we examine the conjecture of Neumann and Reid that the only hyperbolic knots in the $3$-sphere which admit hidden symmetries are the figure-eight knot and the two dodecahedral knots. Knots whose complements cover hyperbolic reflection orbifolds admit hidden symmetries, and we verify the Neumann-Reid conjecture for knots which cover small hyperbolic reflection orbifolds. We also show that a reflection orbifold covered by the complement of an AP knot is necessarily small. Thus when $K$ is an AP knot, the complement of $K$ covers a reflection orbifold exactly when $K$ is either th…
We show that if $B$ is an aspherical 2-orbifold in one of the families known to have orbifold fundamental groups of weight 1 then $B$ is the base of a Seifert fibration of a 2-knot manifold $M(K)$.
A generalization of the volume conjecture relates the asymptotic behavior of the colored Jones polynomial of a knot to the Chern--Simons invariant and the Reidemeister torsion of the knot complement associated with a representation of the fundamental group to the special linear group of degree two over complex numbers. If the knot is hyperbolic, the representation can be regarded as a deformation of the holonomy representation that determines the complete hyperbolic structure. In this article we study a similar phenomenon when the knot is a twice-iterated torus knot. In this case, the asymptot…
R.M. Kashaev conjectured that the asymptotic behavior of his link invariant, which equals the colored Jones polynomial evaluated at a root of unity, determines the hyperbolic volume of any hyperbolic link complement. We observe numerically that for knots $6_3$, $8_9$ and $8_{20}$ and for the Whitehead link, the colored Jones polynomials are related to the hyperbolic volumes and the Chern-Simons invariants and propose a complexification of Kashaev's conjecture.
For a given smooth $2$-knot in $S^4$, we relate the existence of a smooth Seifert hypersurface of a certain class to the existence of irreducible $ SU(2)$-representations of its knot group. For example, we see that any smooth $2$-knot having the Poincaré homology $3$-sphere as a Seifert hypersurface has at least four irreducible $SU(2)$-representations of its knot group. This result is false in the topological category. The proof uses a quantitative formulation of instanton Floer homology. Using similar techniques, we also obtain similar results about codimension-$1$ embeddings of homology $3$…
This paper completes a classification of the types of orientable and non-orientable cusps that can arise in the quotients of hyperbolic knot complements. In particular, $S^2(2,4,4)$ cannot be the cusp cross-section of any orbifold quotient of a hyperbolic knot complement. Furthermore, if a knot complement covers an orbifold with a $S^2(2,3,6)$ cusp, it also covers an orbifold with a $S^2(3,3,3)$ cusp. We end with a discussion that shows all cusp types arise in the quotients of link complements.
Using bordered Floer theory, we construct an invariant $\widehat{\mathit{HFO}}(Y^{\text{orb}})$ for $3$-orbifolds $Y^{\text{orb}}$ with singular set a knot that generalizes the hat flavor $\widehat{\mathit{HF}}(Y)$ of Heegaard Floer homology for closed $3$-manifolds $Y$. We show that for a large class of $3$-orbifolds, $\widehat{\mathit{HFO}}$ behaves like $\widehat{\mathit{HF}}$ in that $\widehat{\mathit{HFO}}$, together with a relative $\mathbb{Z}_2$-grading, categorifies the order of $H_1^{\text{orb}}$. When $Y^{\text{orb}}$ arises as Dehn surgery on an integer-framed knot in $S^3$, we use …
We generalize the results of [AS], finding large classes of totally geodesic Seifert surfaces in hyperbolic knot and link complements, each the lift of a rigid 2-orbifold embedded in some hyperbolic 3-orbifold. In addition, we provide a uniqueness theorem and demonstrate that many knots cannot possess totally geodesic Seifert surfaces by giving bounds on the width invariant in the presence of such a surface. Finally, we utilize these examples to demonstrate that the Six Theorem is sharp for knot complements in the 3-sphere.
It is conjectured that for each knot $K$ in $S^3$, the fundamental group of its complement surjects onto only finitely many distinct knot groups. Applying character variety theory we obtain an affirmative solution of the conjecture for a class of small knots that includes 2-bridge knots.
In this paper, we show that any knot group maps onto at most finitely many knot groups. This gives an affirmative answer to a conjecture of J. Simon. We also bound the diameter of a closed hyperbolic 3-manifold linearly in terms of the presentation length of its fundamental group, improving a result of White.
The main result of this paper, Simon's conjecture for fibered knots, was previously proven by Silver and Whitten math.GT/0405462 with essentially the same proof. This paper is therefore being withdrawn. The author would like to apologize for having missed this.
Kauffman knot polynomial invariants are discovered in classical abelian Chern-Simons field theory. A topological invariant $t^{I\left( \mathcal{L} \right) }$ is constructed for a link $\mathcal{L}$, where $I$ is the abelian Chern-Simons action and $t$ a formal constant. For oriented knotted vortex lines, $t^{I}$ satisfies the skein relations of the Kauffman R-polynomial; for un-oriented knotted lines, $t^{I}$ satisfies the skein relations of the Kauffman bracket polynomial. As an example the bracket polynomials of trefoil knots are computed, and the Jones polynomial is constructed from the bra…
We determine the action of the Kauffman bracket skein algebra of the torus on the Kauffman bracket skein module of the complement of the 3-twist knot. The point is to study the relationship between knot complements and their boundary tori, an idea that has proved very fruitful in knot theory. We place this idea in the context of Chern-Simons theory, where such actions arose in connection with the computation of the noncommutative version of the A-polynomial that was defined by Frohman, Gelca and Lofaro, but they can also be interpreted as quantum mechanical systems. Our goal is to exhibit a de…
We calculate the asymptotic behavior of the Kashaev invariant of a twice-itarated torus knot and obtain topological interpretation of the formula in terms of the Chern--Simons invariant and the twisted Reidemeister torsion.
This paper proves lower bounds on the volume of a hyperbolic 3-orbifold whose singular locus is a link. We identify the unique smallest volume orbifold whose singular locus is a knot or link in the 3-sphere, or more generally in a Z_6 homology sphere. We also prove more general lower bounds under mild homological hypotheses.
We analyze the orbifolds that can be obtained as quotients of hyperbolic 3-manifolds admitting a Heegaard splitting of genus two by their orientation preserving isometry groups. The genus two hyperbolic 3-manifolds are exactly the hyperbolic 2-fold branched coverings of 3-bridge links. If the 3-bridge link is a knot, we prove that the underlying topological space of the quotient orbifold is either the 3-sphere or a lens space and we describe the combinatorial setting of the singular set for each possible isometry group. In the case of 3-bridge links with two or three components, the situation …
We provide two new proofs of a theorem of Cooper, Long and Reid which asserts that, apart from an explicit finite list of exceptional manifolds, any compact orientable irreducible 3-manifold with non-empty boundary has large fundamental group. The first proof is direct and topological; the second is group-theoretic. These techniques are then applied to prove a string of results about (possibly closed) 3-orbifolds, which culminate in the following theorem. If K is a knot in a compact orientable 3-manifold M, such that the complement of K admits a finite-volume hyperbolic structure, then the orb…
We construct a combinatorial invariant of 3-orbifolds with singular set a link that generalizes the Turaev torsion invariant of 3-manifolds. We give several gluing formulas from which we derive two consequences. The first is an understanding of how the components of the invariant change when we remove a curve from the singular set. The second is a formula relating the invariant of the 3-orbifold to the Turaev torsion invariant of the underlying 3-manifold in the case when the singular set is a nullhomologous knot.
We formulate a refinement of SU(N) Chern-Simons theory on a three-manifold via the refined topological string and the (2,0) theory on N M5 branes. The refined Chern-Simons theory is defined on any three-manifold with a semi-free circle action. We give an explicit solution of the theory, in terms of a one-parameter refinement of the S and T matrices of Chern-Simons theory, related to the theory of Macdonald polynomials. The ordinary and refined Chern-Simons theory are similar in many ways; for example, the Verlinde formula holds in both. We obtain new topological invariants of Seifert three-man…
For each natural number n >= 4, we determine the unique lowest volume hyperbolic 3-orbifold whose torsion orders are bounded below by n. This lowest volume orbifold has base space the 3-sphere and singular locus the figure-8 knot, marked n. We apply this result to give sharp lower bounds on the volume of a hyperbolic manifold in terms of the order of elements in its symmetry group.
This paper is a gentle introduction to some recent results involving the theory of gerbes over orbifolds for topologists, geometers and physicists. We introduce gerbes on manifolds, orbifolds, the Dixmier-Douady class, Beilinson-Deligne orbifold cohomology, Cheeger-Simons orbifold cohomology and string connections.
We study Chern-Simons theory on 3-manifolds M that are circle-bundles over 2-dimensional orbifolds S by the method of Abelianisation. This method, which completely sidesteps the issue of having to integrate over the moduli space of non-Abelian flat connections, reduces the complete partition function of the non-Abelian theory on M to a 2-dimensional Abelian theory on the orbifold S which is easily evaluated.
We show that for a torus knot the SL(2;C) Chern-Simons invariants and the SL(2;C) twisted Reidemeister torsions appear in an asymptotic expansion of the colored Jones polynomial. This suggests a generalization of the volume conjecture that relates the asymptotic behavior of the colored Jones polynomial of a knot to the volume of the knot complement.
The perturbative Chern-Simons theory for knots in Euclidean space is a linear combination of integrals on configuration spaces. This has been successively studied by Bott and Taubes, Altschuler and Freidel, and Yang. We study it again in terms of degree theory, with a new choice of compactification. This paper is self-contained and proves some old and new results, especially a rationality result with some information on the denominators.
In this article, we express the Alexander polynomial of null-homologous long knots in punctured rational homology $3$-spheres in terms of integrals over configuration spaces. To get such an expression, we use a previously established formula, which gives generalized Bott-Cattaneo-Rossi invariants in terms of the Alexander polynomial and vice versa, and we relate these Bott-Cattaneo-Rossi invariants to the perturbative expansion of Chern-Simons theory.
We make a precision test of a recently proposed conjecture relating Chern-Simons gauge theory to topological string theory on the resolution of the conifold. First, we develop a systematic procedure to extract string amplitudes from vacuum expectation values (vevs) of Wilson loops in Chern-Simons gauge theory, and then we evaluate these vevs in arbitrary irreducible representations of SU(N) for torus knots. We find complete agreement with the predictions derived from the target space interpretation of the string amplitudes. We also show that the structure of the free energy of topological open…
We study the Chern-Simons topological quantum field theory with an inhomogeneous gauge group, a non-semi-simple group obtained from a semi-simple one by taking its semi-direct product with its Lie algebra. We find that the standard knot observables (i.e. traces of holonomies along knots) essentially vanish, but yet, the non-semi-simplicity of our gauge group allows us to consider a class of un-orthodox observables which breaks gauge invariance at one point and which lead to a non-trivial theory on long knots in $\mathbb{R}^3$. We have two main morals : 1. In the non-semi-simple case, there is …
The expectation value of Wilson loop operators in three-dimensional SO(N) Chern-Simons gauge theory gives a known knot invariant: the Kauffman polynomial. Here this result is derived, at the first order, via a simple variational method. With the same procedure the skein relation for Sp(N) are also obtained. Jones polynomial arises as special cases: Sp(2), SO(-2) and SL(2,R). These results are confirmed and extended up to the second order, by means of perturbation theory, which moreover let us establish a duality relation between SO(+/-N) and Sp(-/+N) invariants. A correspondence between the fi…
The state of a knot is defined in the realm of Chern-Simons topological quantum field theory as a holomorphic section on the SU(2) character manifold of the peripheral torus. We compute the asymptotics of the torus knot states in terms of the Alexander polynomial, the Reidemeister torsion and the Chern-Simons invariant. We also prove that the microsupport of the torus knot state is included in the character manifold of the knot exterior. As a corollary we deduce the Witten asymptotics conjecture for the Dehn filling of the torus knots and asymptotic expansions for the colored Jones polynomials…
We study the asymptotic behavior of the Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev invariant associated with the square of the $n$-th root of unity with odd $n$ for a Seifert fibered space obtained by an integral Dehn surgery along a torus knot. We show that it can be described as a sum of the Chern-Simons invariants and the twisted Reidemeister torsions both associated with representations of the fundamental group to the two-dimensional complex special linear group.
Witten introduced classical Chern-Simons theory to topology in 1989, when he defined an invariant for knots in 3-manifolds by an integral over a certain infinite-dimensional space, which up to today have not been entirely understood. However, they motivated lots of interesting questions and results in knot theory and low-dimensional topology, as well as the development of entirely new fields. These are lecture notes for a course in Lie groups and Chern-Simons Theory aimed at graduate students.
I calculate optimistically asymptotic behaviors of the WRT SU(2) invariants for the three-manifolds obtained from the figure-eight knot by p-surgeries with p=0,1,2,...,10, from which one can extract volumes and the Chern-Simons invariants of these closed manifolds. I conjecture that this also holds for general closed three-manifolds.
We construct a topological Chern-Simons sigma model on a Riemannian three-manifold M with gauge group G whose hyperkahler target space X is equipped with a G-action. Via a perturbative computation of its partition function, we obtain new topological invariants of M that define new weight systems which are characterized by both Lie algebra structure and hyperkahler geometry. In canonically quantizing the sigma model, we find that the partition function on certain M can be expressed in terms of Chern-Simons knot invariants of M and the intersection number of certain G-equivariant cycles in the m…
We compute the vacuum expectation values of torus knot operators in Chern-Simons theory, and we obtain explicit formulae for all classical gauge groups and for arbitrary representations. We reproduce a known formula for the HOMFLY invariants of torus links and we obtain an analogous formula for Kauffman invariants. We also derive a formula for cable knots. We use our results to test a recently proposed conjecture that relates HOMFLY and Kauffman invariants.
Based on the proof of Labastida-Mari{ñ}o-Ooguri-Vafa conjecture \cite{lmov}, we derive an infinite product formula for Chern-Simons partition functions, the generating function of quantum $\fsl_N$ invariants. Some symmetry properties of the infinite product will also be discussed.
We formulate large $N$ duality of $\mathrm{U}(N)$ refined Chern-Simons theory with a torus knot/link in $S^3$. By studying refined BPS states in M-theory, we provide the explicit form of low-energy effective actions of Type IIA string theory with D4-branes on the $Ω$-background. This form enables us to relate refined Chern-Simons invariants of a torus knot/link in $S^3$ to refined BPS invariants in the resolved conifold. Assuming that the extra $\mathrm{U}(1)$ global symmetry acts on BPS states trivially, the duality predicts graded dimensions of cohomology groups of moduli spaces of M2-M5 bou…
We study the invariant of knots in lens spaces defined from quantum Chern-Simons theory. By means of the knot operator formalism, we derive a generalization of the Rosso-Jones formula for torus knots in L(p,1). In the second part of the paper, we propose a B-model topological string theory description of torus knots in L(2,1).
The purpose of the paper is to introduce some conjectures regarding the analytic continuation and the arithmetic properties of quantum invariants of knotted objects. More precisely, we package the perturbative and nonperturbative invariants of knots and 3-manifolds into two power series of type P and NP, convergent in a neighborhood of zero, and we postulate their arithmetic resurgence. By the latter term, we mean analytic continuation as a multivalued analytic function in the complex numbers minus a discrete set of points, with restricted singularities, local and global monodromy. We point ou…
We construct from first principles the operator 'A-hat' that annihilates the partition functions (or wavefunctions) of three-dimensional Chern-Simons theory with gauge groups SU(2), SL(2,R), or SL(2,C) on a knot complement M. The operator 'A-hat' is a quantization of the knot complement's classical A-polynomial A(l,m). The construction proceeds by decomposing three-manifolds into ideal tetrahedra, and invoking a new, more global understanding of gluing in TQFT to put them back together. We advocate in particular that, properly interpreted, "gluing = symplectic reduction." We also arrive at a n…
We present and discuss some open problems formulated by participants of the International Workshop "Knots, Braids, and Auto\-mor\-phism Groups" held in Novosibirsk, 2014. Problems are related to palindromic and commutator widths of groups; properties of Brunnian braids and two-colored braids, corresponding to an amalgamation of groups; extreme properties of hyperbolic 3-orbifold groups, relations between inner and quasi-inner automorphisms of groups; and Staic's construction of symmetric cohomology of groups.
The Quantum Modularity Conjecture of Zagier predicts the existence of a formal power series with arithmetically interesting coefficients that appears in the asymptotics of the Kashaev invariant at each root of unity. Our goal is to construct a power series from a Neumann-Zagier datum (i.e., an ideal triangulation of the knot complement and a geometric solution to the gluing equations) and a complex root of unity $ζ$. We prove that the coefficients of our series lie in the trace field of the knot, adjoined a complex root of unity. We conjecture that our series are those that appear in the Quant…
We review the string/gauge theory duality relating Chern-Simons theory and topological strings on noncompact Calabi-Yau manifolds, as well as its mathematical implications for knot invariants and enumerative geometry.
We consider Chern-Simons theory with complex gauge group and present a complete non-perturbative evaluation of the path integral (the partition function and certain expectation values of Wilson loops) on Seifert fibred 3-Manifolds. We use the method of Abelianisation. In certain cases the path integral can be seen to factorize neatly into holomorphic and anti-holomorphic parts. We obtain closed formulae of this factorization for the expectation values of torus knots.