arXiv research

We classify SL(2;C)-representations of a Brieskorn homology 3-sphere. We show any irreducible representation into SL(2;C) is conjugate to that into either SU(2) or SL(2;R). We also give a construction of SL(2;R)-representations for a Brieskorn homology 3-sphere from PSL(2;R)-representations of the base orbifold fundame…

We characterize groups admitting Anosov representations into $\mathsf{SL}(3,\mathbb R)$, projective Anosov representations into $\mathsf{SL}(4,\mathbb R)$, and Borel Anosov representations into $\mathsf{SL}(4,\mathbb R)$. More generally, we obtain bounds on the cohomological dimension of groups admitting $P_k$-Anosov r…

Given a finite volume hyperbolic 3-manifold, we compose a lift of the holonomy in SL(2,C) with the n-dimensional irreducible representation of SL(2,C) in SL(n,C). In this paper we give local coordinates of the SL(n,C)-character variety around this representation. As a corollary, this representation is isolated among al…

Defines Fenchel-Nielsen coordinates for SL(3,C) representations.

Study local structure of knot group representations into SL(n,C).

We give a classification of irreducible metabelian representations from a knot group into SL(n,C) and GL(n,C). If the homology of the n-fold branched cover of the knot is finite, we show that every irreducible metabelian SL(n,C) representation is conjugate to a unitary representation and that the set of conjugacy class…

Based on the analogies between knot theory and number theory, we study a deformation theory for SL_2-representations of knot groups, following after Mazur's deformation theory of Galois representations. Firstly, by employing the pseudo-SL_2-representations, we prove the existence of the universal deformation of a given…

Researchers create a new invariant for knot theory.

Paper studies complex Lagrangian surfaces and their relation to $\mathrm{SL}(3,\mathbb{C})$-representations.

Let $M_φ$ be a surface bundle over a circle with monodromy $φ:S \rightarrow S$. We study deformations of certain reducible representations of $π_1(M_φ)$ into $\text{SL}(n,\mathbb{C})$, obtained by composing a reducible representation into $\text{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$ with the irreducible representation $\text{SL}(2,\mathb…

SL(n) covariant valuations on Orlicz spaces are represented and characterized.

We show that Khovanov homology (and its sl(3) variant) can be understood in the context of higher representation theory. Specifically, we show that the combinatorially defined foam constructions of these theories arise as a family of 2-representations of categorified quantum sl(m) via categorical skew Howe duality. Uti…

We describe a family of representations in SL(3,$\mathbb C$) of the fundamental group $π$ of the Whitehead link complement. These representations are obtained by considering pairs of regular order three elements in SL(3,$\mathbb C$) and can be seen as factorising through a quotient of $π$ defined by a certain exception…

We determine the characters of SL(2) representations of groups and surface groups.

Identifies Anosov representations of hyperbolic triangle groups in SL(3,R).

The aim of this article is to study the existence of certain reducible, metabelian representations of knot groups into $\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbf{C})$ which generalise the representations studied previously by G.~Burde and G.~de Rham. Under specific hypotheses we prove the existence of irreducible deformations of such repr…

New examples show embeddings not approximated by Anosov representations.

Generic Hitchin representations generate dense subgroups.

Unified framework counts knot representations into SU(2) and SL(2,R).

Study topological components of surface group representations into SL(2,R) and PSL(2,R).

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 metabe…

New computations show sl(N) homology is related to SU(N) representations of knots.

Deforms surface groups to be Zariski dense in SL(n,R)

We observe the twisted Alexander polynomial for metabelian representations of knot groups into SL(2,C) and study relations to the characterizations of metabelian representations in the character varieties. We give a factorization of the twisted Alexander polynomial for irreducible metabelian representations with the ad…

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 charac…

Given a knot K and an irreducible metabelian SL(n,C) representation we establish an equality for the dimension of the first twisted cohomology. In the case of equality, we prove that the representation must have finite image and that it is conjugate to an SU(n) representation. In this case we show it determines a smoot…

The paper proves a criterion for L-space knots and their representations.

The paper establishes isomorphisms and constructs colored versions of Lawrence representations.

Study of SL(2,R) representations on a once-punctured torus, showing Cantor set spectrum.

We compute the fundamental class (in the extended Bloch group) for representations of fundamental groups of 3-manifolds to SL(4,R) that factor over SL(2,C), in particular for those factoring over the isomorphism PSL(2,C) = S0(3,1). We also discuss consequences for the number of connected components of SL(4,R)-character…

Let $K$ be a knot in $S^3$ and $X$ its complement. We study deformations of non-abelian, metabelian, reducible representations of the knot group $π\_1(X)$ into $\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbf{C})$ which are associated to a simple root of the Alexander polynomial. We prove that certain of these metabelian reducible representatio…

We prove Riley's conjecture on the number of parabolic SL(2,R) representations of 2-bridge knot groups.

Given a link $L\subset S^3$, a representation $π_1(S^3-L)\to{\rm SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$ is {\it trace-free} if it sends each meridian to an element with trace zero. We present a method for completely determining trace-free ${\rm SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$-representations for arborescent links. Concrete computations are done for a …

We define Ptolemy coordinates for representations that are not necessarily boundary-unipotent. This gives rise to a new algorithm for computing the SL(2,C) A-polynomial, and more generally the SL(n,C) A-varieties. We also give a formula for the Dehn invariant of an SL(n,C)-representation.

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 irred…

The colored Jones polynomial of the figure-eight knot connects to an SL(2;R) representation.

Let $q$ be a $2N$th root of unity where $N$ is odd. Let $U_q(sl_2)$ denote the quantum group with large center corresponding to the lie algebra $sl_2$ with generators $E,F,K$, and $K^{-1}$. A semicyclic representation of $U_q(sl_2)$ is an $N$-dimensional irreducible representation $ρ:U_q(sl_2)\rightarrow M_N(\mathbb{C}…

New knot theory module shows torsion-ness in number theory.

Let $Γ$ be the fundamental group of a complete hyperbolic $3$-manifold $M$ with toric cusps. We define the $ω$-Borel invariant $β_n^ω(ρ_ω)$ associated to a representation $ρ_ω: Γ\rightarrow SL(n,\mathbb{C}_ω)$, where $\mathbb{C}_ω$ is a field which can be constructed as a quotient of a suitable subset of $\mathbb{C}^\m…

The paper studies properties of stated SL(n)-skein algebras and their centers.

Quantum invariants derived from $\mathcal{U}_q(\mathfrak{sl}_2)$ link holonomy.

Researchers use Gysin sequence to show sl(N) homology of T(2,m) is cohomology of SU(N) representations.

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-d…

We present results connecting crossratios, representations of surface groups in $SL(n,\mathbb R)$ and in an infinite dimensional group related to the group of diffeomorphisms of the circle. More precisely, we show that representations of a surface group in $SL(n,\mathbb R)$ can be interpreted as crossratios satisfying …

The Ptolemy variety for SL(2,C) is an invariant of a topological ideal triangulation of a compact 3-manifold M. It is closely related to Thurston's gluing equation variety. The Ptolemy variety maps naturally to the set of conjugacy classes of boundary-unipotent SL(2,C)-representations, but (like the gluing equation var…

Given a link $L$, a representation $π_1(S^{3}-L)\to {\rm SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$ is {\it tracefree} if the image of each meridian has trace zero. We determine the conjugacy classes of tracefree representations when $L$ is a Montesinos link.

We build extensions of the arc rings, relate their centers to the cohomology rings of the Springer varieties, and categorify all level two representations of quantum sl(N).

The first part of this article is a general introduction to the the theory of representation spaces of discrete groups into SL(n,C). Special attention is paid to knot groups. In Section 2 we discuss the difference between the tangent space at the representation variety, and the representation scheme. We give an example…