In this paper, by using the regulator map of Beilinson-Deligne, we show that the quantization condition posed by Gukov is true for the SL_2(\mathbb{C}) character variety of the hyperbolic knot in S^3. Furthermore, we prove that the corresponding \mathbb{C}^{*}-valued 1-form is a secondary characteristic class (Chern-Simons) arising from the vanishing first Chern class of the flat line bundle over the smooth part of the character variety, where the flat line bundle is the pullback of the universal Heisenberg line bundle over \mathbb{C}^{*}\times \mathbb{C}^{*}. The second part of the paper is to define an algebro-geometric invariant of 3-manifolds resulting from the Dehn surgery along a hyperbolic knot complement in $S^3$. We establish a Casson type invariant for these 3-manifolds. In the last section, we explicitly calculate the character variety of the figure-eight knot and discuss some applications.
For a hyperbolic link complement with a triangulation, there are hyperbolicity equations of the triangulation, which guarantee the hyperbolic structure of the link complement. In this paper, we explain that the number of the essential solutions of the equations is equal to or bigger than the extension degree of the invariant trace field of the link. On the other hand, Yokota suggested a potential function of a hyperbolic knot, which gives the hyperbolicity equations and the complex volume of the knot. Applying the fact above to his theory, we explain that the potential function also gives all …
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…
In this paper, we study the $SL_2(\mathbb{C})$ character variety of a hyperbolic link in $S^3$. We analyze a special smooth projective variety $Y^h$ arising from some 1-dimensional irreducible slices on the character variety. We prove that a natural symbol obtained from these 1-dimensional slices is a torsion in $K_2({\mathbb C}(Y^h))$. By using the regulator map from $K_2$ to the corresponding Deligne cohomology, we get some variation formulae on some Zariski open subset of $Y^h$. From this we give some discussions on a possible parametrized volume conjecture for both hyperbolic links and kno…
In this paper, by using the regulator map of Beilinson-Deligne on a curve, we show that the quantization condition posed by Gukov is true for the SL_2(C) character variety of the hyperbolic knot in S^3. Furthermore, we prove that the corresponding $\mathbb{C}^{*}$-valued closed 1-form is a secondary characteristic class (Chern-Simons) arising from the vanishing first Chern class of the flat line bundle over the smooth part of the character variety, where the flat line bundle is the pullback of the universal Heisenberg line bundle over $\mathbb{C}^{*}\times \mathbb{C}^{*}$. Based on this result…
We study the alternating subspace of holomorphic sections of a special prequantum line bundle over SU(2)-character variety of torus, and show that it is isomorphic to the projective representation of mapping class group of peripheral torus given by the SO(3) Witten-Chern-Simons theory. We conjecture that the large r asymptotics of $L^2$-norm of SO(3)-knot states via geometric quantization capture the simplicial volume of knot complements.
Consider the Chern-Simons topological quantum field theory with gauge group SU(2) and level k. Given a knot in the 3-sphere, this theory associates to the knot exterior an element in a vector space. We call this vector the knot state and study its asymptotic properties when the level is large. The latter vector space being isomorphic to the geometric quantization of the SU(2)-character variety of the peripheral torus, the knot state may be viewed as a section defined over this character variety. We first conjecture that the knot state concentrates in the large level limit to the character vari…
This article pursues the study of the knot state asymptotics in the large level limit initiated in "Knot sate Asymptotics I". As a main result, we prove the Witten asymptotic expansion conjecture for the Dehn fillings of the figure eight knot. 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. In the previous paper, we conjectured that the knot state concentrates on the character variety of the knot with a given asymptotic behavior on the neighborhood of the abelian repre…
We study character varieties of symmetric knots and their reductions mod p. We observe that the varieties present a different behaviour according to whether the knots admit a free or periodic symmetry.
For a fibered knot in the 3-sphere the twisted Alexander polynomial associated to an SL(2,C)-character is known to be monic. It is conjectured that for a nonfibered knot there is a curve component of the SL(2,C)-character variety containing only finitely many characters whose twisted Alexander polynomials are monic, i.e. finiteness of such characters detects fiberedness of knots. In this paper we discuss the existence of a certain curve component which relates to the conjecture when knots have nonmonic Alexander polynomials. We also discuss the similar problem of detecting the knot genus.
A non-trivial slope $r$ on a knot $K$ in $S^3$ is called a characterizing slope if whenever the result of $r$-surgery on a knot $K'$ is orientation preservingly homeomorphic to the result of $r$-surgery on $K$, then $K'$ is isotopic to $K$. Ni and Zhang ask: for any hyperbolic knot $K$, is a slope $r = p/q$ with $|p| + |q|$ sufficiently large a characterizing slope? In this article we answer this question in the negative by demonstrating that there is a hyperbolic knot $K$ in $S^3$ which has infinitely many non-characterizing slopes. As the simplest known example, the hyperbolic knot $8_6$ has…
We study U(N|M) character expectation value with the supermatrix Chern-Simons theory, known as the ABJM matrix model, with emphasis on its connection to the knot invariant. This average just gives the half BPS circular Wilson loop expectation value in ABJM theory, which shall correspond to the unknot invariant. We derive the determinantal formula, which gives U(N|M) character expectation values in terms of U(1|1) averages for a particular type of character representations. This means that the U(1|1) character expectation value is a building block for all the U(N|M) averages, and in particular,…
A slope $p/q$ is a characterising slope for a knot $K$ in $S^3$ if the oriented homeomorphism type of $p/q$-surgery on $K$ determines $K$ uniquely. We show that when $K$ is a hyperbolic knot its set of characterising slopes contains all but finitely many slopes $p/q$ with $q \geq 3$. We prove stronger results for hyperbolic $L$-space knots, showing that all but finitely many non-integer slopes are characterising. The proof is obtained by combining Lackenby's proof that for a hyperbolic knot any slope $p/q$ with $q$ sufficiently large is characterising with genus bounds derived from Heegaard Fl…
We study the twisted Alexander polynomial from the viewpoint of the SL(2,C)-character variety of nonabelian representations of a knot group. It is known that if a knot is fibered, then the twisted Alexander polynomials associated with nonabelian SL(2,C)-representations are all monic. In this paper, we show that the converse holds for 2-bridge knots. Furthermore we show that for a 2-bridge knot there exists a curve component in the SL(2,C)-character variety such that if the knot is not fibered then there are only finitely many characters in the component for which the associated twisted Alexand…
We show that for any knot there exist only finitely many irreducible metabelian characters in the $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$-character variety of the knot group, and the number is given explicitly by using the determinant of the knot. Then it turns out that for any 2-bridge knot a section of the $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$-character variety consists entirely of all the metabelian characters, i.e., the irreducible metabelian characters and the single reducible (abelian) character. Moreover we find that the number of irreducible metabelian characters gives an upper bound of the maximal degree of the A-polynomial…
Let K be a knot in the 3-sphere. A slope p/q is said to be characterising for K if whenever p/q surgery on K is homeomorphic, via an orientation-preserving homeomorphism, to p/q surgery on another knot K' in the 3-sphere, then K and K' are isotopic. It was an old conjecture of Gordon, proved by Kronheimer, Mrowka, Ozsvath and Szabo, that every slope is characterising for the unknot. In this paper, we show that every knot K has infinitely many characterising slopes, confirming a conjecture of Baker and Motegi. In fact, p/q is characterising for K provided |p| is at most |q| and |q| is sufficien…
We show that there are Montesinos knots with $n+1\geq 4$ tangles whose character varieties contain arbitrarily many irreducible components of dimension $d$ for any $1\le d\le n-2$. Moreover, these irreducible components can be chosen so that the trace of the meridian is non-constant.
We calculate the universal character ring of a class of two-generator, one-relator groups. As an application we give a less technical proof of a result in [LT] on the universal character ring of the (-2,3,2n+1)-pretzel knot. We also give an elementary proof of a result in [Ma] on the character variety of the (-2,3,2n+1)-pretzel knot.
We find explicit models for the PSL(2,C)- and SL(2,C)-character varieties of the fundamental groups of complements in S^3 of an infinite family of two-bridge knots that contains the twist knots. We compute the genus of the components of these character varieties, and deduce upper bounds on the degree of the associated trace fields. We also show that these knot complements are fibered if and only if they are commensurable to a fibered knot complement in a Z/2Z-homology sphere, resolving a conjecture of Hoste and Shanahan.
Let K be a knot in an integral homology 3-sphere and let B denote the 2-fold branched cover of the integral homology sphere branched along K. We construct a map from the slice of characters with trace free along meridians in the SL(2, C)-character variety of the knot exterior to the SL(2, C)-character variety of 2-fold branched cover B. When this map is surjective, it describes the slice as the 2-fold branched cover over the SL(2, C)-character variety of B with branched locus given by the abelian characters, whose preimage is precisely the set of metabelian characters. We show that each of met…
It is known that the fundamental group homomorphism $π_1(T^2) \to π_1(S^3\setminus K)$ induced by the inclusion of the boundary torus into the complement of a knot $K$ in $S^3$ is a complete knot invariant. Many classical invariants of knots arise from the natural (restriction) map induced by the above homomorphism on the $\mathrm{SL}_2$-character varieties of the corresponding fundamental groups. In our earlier work [BS16], we proposed a conjecture that the classical restriction map admits a canonical 2-parameter deformation into a smooth cubic surface. In this paper, we show that (modulo som…
For each Montesinos knot $K$, we propose an efficient method to explicitly determine the irreducible ${\rm SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$-character variety, and show that it can be decomposed as $\mathcal{X}_0(K)\sqcup\mathcal{X}_1(K)\sqcup\mathcal{X}_2(K)\sqcup\mathcal{X}'(K)$, where $\mathcal{X}_0(K)$ consists of trace-free characters, $\mathcal{X}_1(K)$ consists of characters of "unions" of representations of rational knots (or rational link, which appears at most once), $\mathcal{X}_2(K)$ is an algebraic curve, and $\mathcal{X}'(K)$ consists of finitely many points when $K$ satisfies a generic conditi…
Let G be the fundamental group of the complement of the torus knot of type (m,n). This has a presentation G=<x,y|x^m=y^n>. We find the geometric description of the character variety X(G) of characters of representations of G into SL(3,C), GL(3,C) and PGL(3,C).
We show that all twist knots, certain double twist knots and some other 2-bridge knots are minimal elements for the partial ordering on the set of prime knots. The key to these results are presentations of their character varieties using Chebyshev polynomials and a criterion for irreducibility of a polynomial of two variables. These give us an elementary method to discuss the number of irreducible components of the character varieties, which concludes the result essentially.
In this paper we present some families of polynomials and use them to find, using the techniques in \cite{gma}, a defining polynomial for the $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ character variety (as defined in \cite{cus}) of the torus knots of type $(m,2)$ with $m>1$ being an odd integer.
We give a description of several representation varieties of the fundamental group of the complement of the figure eight knot in PGL(3,C) or SL(3,C). We moreover obtain an explicit parametrization of matrices generating the representation and a description of the projection of the representation variety into the character variety of the boundary torus into SL(3,C).
The colored Jones function of a knot is a sequence of Laurent polynomials in one variable, whose n-th term is the Jones polynomial of the knot colored with the n-dimensional irreducible representation of SL(2). It was recently shown by TTQ Le and the author that the colored Jones function of a knot is q-holonomic, ie, that it satisfies a nontrivial linear recursion relation with appropriate coefficients. Using holonomicity, we introduce a geometric invariant of a knot: the characteristic variety, an affine 1-dimensional variety in C^2. We then compare it with the character variety of SL_2(C) r…
We show that every $\mathbb{Z}$-torsion free knot module is realized by a ribbon 2-knot with group of geometric dimension at most 2, and give some partial results on the characterization of the knot modules of fibred ribbon 2-knots.
We give explicit equations that describe the character variety of the figure eight knot for the groups SL(3,C), GL(3,C) and PGL(3,C). This has five components of dimension 2, one consisting of totally reducible representations, another one consisting of partially reducible representations, and three components of irreducible representations. Of these, one is distinguished as it contains the curve of irreducible representations coming from $Sym^2:SL(2,C) \to SL(3,C)$. The other two components are induced by exceptional Dehn fillings of the figure eight knot. We also describe the action of the s…
Given a hyperbolic knot $K$ and any $n\geq 2$ the abelian representations and the holonomy representation each give rise to an $(n-1)$-dimensional component in the $\operatorname{SL}(n,\Bbb{C})$-character variety. A component of the $\operatorname{SL}(n,\Bbb{C})$-character variety of dimension $\geq n$ is called high-dimensional. It was proved by Cooper and Long that there exist hyperbolic knots with high-dimensional components in the $\operatorname{SL}(2,\Bbb{C})$-character variety. We show that given any non-trivial knot $K$ and sufficiently large $n$ the $\operatorname{SL}(n,\Bbb{C})$-chara…
In this paper, we compute the motive of the character variety of representations of the fundamental group of the complement of an arbitrary torus knot into $SL_4(k)$, for any algebraically closed field $k$ of zero characteristic. For that purpose, we introduce a stratification of the variety in terms of the type of a canonical filtration attached to any representation. This allows us to reduce the computation of the motive to a combinatorial problem.
We consider the Reidemeister torsion associated with SL(2, C)-representations of a knot group. A bifurcation point in the SL(2, C)-character variety of a knot group is a character which is given by both an abelian SL(2, C)-representation and a non-abelian one. We show that there exist limits of the non-acyclic Reidemeister torsion at bifurcation points and the limits are expressed by using the derivation of the Alexander polynomial of the knot in this paper.
We reveal an intimate connection between the quantum knot invariant for torus knot T(s,t) and the character of the minimal model M(s,t), where s and t are relatively prime integers. We show that Kashaev's invariant, i.e., the N-colored Jones polynomial at the N-th root of unity, coincides with the Eichler integral of the character.
We investigate commensurability classes of hyperbolic knot complements in the generic case of knots without hidden symmetries. We show that such knot complements which are commensurable are cyclically commensurable, and that there are at most $3$ hyperbolic knot complements in a cyclic commensurability class. Moreover if two hyperbolic knots have cyclically commensurable complements, then they are fibered with the same genus and are chiral. A characterisation of cyclic commensurability classes of complements of periodic knots is also given. In the non-periodic case, we reduce the characterisat…
We study the relationship between Ng's abelian cord ring and SL(2,C) characters of the two-fold branched cover $Σ(K)$. Augmentations, and their corresponding rank, play a central role in the relationship. Our study also leads to a correspondence between trace-free SL(2,C) characters of a knot complement and augmentations. Whether the trace-free character is metabelian or not is determined by the rank of the corresponding augmentation. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given on the augmentation for it to correspond to an SU(2) character. This provides an effective tool for finding represe…
Knot Floer homology is an invariant for knots in the three-sphere for which the Euler characteristic is the Alexander-Conway polynomial of the knot. The aim of this paper is to study this homology for a class of satellite knots, so as to see how a certain relation between the Alexander-Conway polynomials of the satellite, companion and pattern is generalized on the level of the knot Floer homology. We also use our observations to study a classical geometric invariant, the Seifert genus, of our satellite knots.
We classify Dehn surgeries on (p,q,r) pretzel knots that result in a manifold of finite fundamental group. The only hyperbolic pretzel knots that admit non-trivial finite surgeries are (-2,3,7) and (-2,3,9). Agol and Lackenby's 6-theorem reduces the argument to knots with small indices p,q,r. We treat these using the Culler-Shalen norm of the SL(2,C)-character variety. In particular, we introduce new techniques for demonstrating that boundary slopes are detected by the character variety.
Weights of essential surfaces in 2-bridge knot complements
University of Wisconsin, Madison（威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校）；Department of Mathematics and Statistics, The College of New Jersey（新泽西学院数学与统计系）；Ignite Fueling Innovation, Inc（Ignite燃料创新公司）
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.
Given a knot K in an integral homology sphere with exterior N_K, there is a natural action of the cyclic group Z/n on the space of SL(n,C) representations of the knot group π_1(N_K), and this induces an action on the SL(n,C) character variety. We identify the fixed points of this action in terms of characters of metabelian representations, and we apply this to show that the twisted Alexander polynomial associated to an irreducible metabelian SL(n,C) representation is actually a polynomial in t^n.
Using the Hatcher-Oertel algorithm for finding boundary slopes of Montesinos knots, we prove the Slope Conjecture and the Strong Slope Conjecture for a family of 3-tangle pretzel knots. More precisely, we prove that the maximal degrees of the colored Jones polynomial of such knots determine a boundary slope as predicted by the Slope Conjecture, and that the linear term in the degrees correspond to the Euler characteristic of an essential surface.
Let $K\subset S^3$ be a hyperbolic fibered knot such that $S^3_{p/q}(K)$, the $\frac pq$--surgery on $K$, is non-hyperbolic. We prove that if the monodromy of $K$ is right-veering, then $0\le\frac pq\le 4g(K)$. The upper bound $4g(K)$ cannot be attained if $S^3_{p/q}(K)$ is a small Seifert fibered L-space. If the monodromy of $K$ is neither right-veering nor left-veering, then $|q|\le3$. As a corollary, for any given positive torus knot $T$, if $p/q\ge4g(T)+4$, then $p/q$ is a characterizing slope. This improves earlier bounds of Ni--Zhang and McCoy. We also prove that some finite/cyclic slope…
Let G be a simple complex algebraic group and g its Lie algebra. We show that the g-Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev quantum invariants determine a deformation-quantization, C_q[X_G(torus)], of the coordinate ring of the G-character variety of the torus. We prove that this deformation is in the direction of the Goldman's bracket. Furthermore, we show that every knot K defines an ideal I_K in C_q[X_G(torus)]. We conjecture that the homomorphism C_q[X_G(torus)] -> C[X_G(torus)], q -> 1, maps I_K to the ideal whose radical is the kernel of the map C[X_G(torus)] -> C[X_G(S^3 K)]. This conjecture is relat…
