arXiv research

Quantum trace maps abelian character varieties to SL2 character varieties.

Compact character varieties of punctured spheres are proven.

Introduces tensor product for quiver representations and applies to stable bundles and character varieties.

Let G be a complex reductive algebraic group (not necessarily connected), let K be a maximal compact subgroup, and let A be a finitely generated Abelian group. We prove that the conjugation orbit space Hom(A,K)/K is a strong deformation retract of the GIT quotient space Hom(A,G)//G. As a corollary, we determine necessa…

We study the structure underlying Ng's conjecture, which relates the degree $0$ abelian knot contact homology of a knot $K$ to the coordinate ring of the $SL_2(\mathbf{C})$-character variety $X(Σ_2 K)$ of the $2$-fold branched cover of the $3$-sphere branched along $K$. Our approach is based on the study of (meridional…

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 va…

We show that the $(4,5)$- and $(5,6)$-torus knots admit ghost characters. Consequently, these knots provide counterexamples to Ng's conjecture, which proposes an isomorphism between the complexification of degree $0$ abelian knot contact homology and the coordinate ring of the character variety of the $2$-fold branched…

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…

Study mapping class group action on character varieties, proving Kronecker's Theorem.

Study on moduli spaces of Higgs bundles over Abelian varieties, focusing on their topology and polynomials.

We prove that some relative character varieties of the fundamental group of a punctured sphere into the Hermitian Lie groups $\mathrm{SU}(p,q)$ admit compact connected components. The representations in these components have several counter-intuitive properties. For instance, the image of any simple closed curve is an …

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…

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 augmentatio…

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 Reidemei…

Paper studies invariants of knots using logarithmic Gauss maps and character varieties.

We exhibit the traceless $SU(2)$ character variety of a 6-punctured 2-sphere as a 2-fold branched cover of ${\mathbb{C}}P^3$, branched over the singular Kummer surface, with the branch locus in $R(S^2,6)$ corresponding to the binary dihedral representations. This follows from an analysis of the map induced on $SU(2)$ c…

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 b…

Surveying connections between algebraic geometry and surface topology.

Character scheme of small Seifert 3-manifolds is reduced if and only if no exceptional abelian character exists.

The paper constructs a free abelian group from Anosov representations on bundles.

Extends Chern character to non-abelian cohomology, linking to physics.

For any compact and connected Lie group $G$ and any free abelian or free nilpotent group $Γ$ , we determine the cohomology of the path component of the trivial representation of the representation space (character variety) $Rep(Γ,G)_1$, with coefficients in a field $F$ with ${char} (F)$ either 0 or relatively prime to …

We discuss properties of complex algebraic orbifold groups, their characteristic varieties, and their abelian covers. In particular, we deal with the question of (quasi)-projectivity of orbifold groups. We also prove a structure theorem for the variety of characters of normal-crossing quasi-projective orbifold groups. …

Introduces non-abelian Hodge correspondence linking algebraic structures to geometry.

New nonacyclic Reidemeister torsions defined for odd-dimensional manifolds.

Character varieties get a natural Poisson structure.

Quantum character varieties unify four construction methods.

Character variety of Borromean link solved, Alexander polynomial formula found.

We develop a Chern character map for twisted equivariant non-abelian cohomology.

We present a method for deciding when a regular abelian cover of a finite CW-complex has finite Betti numbers. To start with, we describe a natural parameter space for all regular covers of a finite CW-complex X, with group of deck transformations a fixed abelian group A, which in the case of free abelian covers of ran…

Constructs maps on skein modules using non-semisimple quantum invariants.

Computes dimensions of representation and character varieties for 2 and 3-dimensional orbifolds.

Study finite group actions on Higgs bundle moduli spaces.

Researchers describe character varieties for Hopf links, proving geometric properties.

Characterizes structures preserved by groups in high-dimensional spaces.

Character variety of Whitehead link described in detail.

Proves Torelli group action is ergodic on Lie group character varieties.

We study some basic properties of the variety of characters in PSL(2,C) of a finitely generated group. In particular we give an interpretation of its points as characters of representations. We construct 3-manifolds whose variety of characters has arbitrarily many components that do not lift to SL(2,C). We also study t…

Study $\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb{F})$-character varieties of knots over fields of odd characteristic.

Detecting essential surfaces in 3-manifolds and orbifolds using character varieties.

The paper extends character varieties to marked surfaces and discovers their triangular decompositions.

Finite automorphisms of SL(2,C) character varieties identified.

A family of new algebraic Poisson varieties will be constructed, generalising the complex character varieties of Riemann surfaces. Then the well-known (Poisson) mapping class group actions on the character varieties will be generalised.

Study character varieties of hyperbolic 3-manifolds using bundle methods.

Refines Haupt's theorem for surface characters.

Study of pseudo-Anosov actions on $SU(2)$-character variety for genus 2 surfaces.

The powerful character variety techniques of Culler and Shalen can be used to find essential surfaces in knot manifolds. We show that module structures on the coordinate ring of the character variety can be used to identify detected boundary slopes as well as when closed surfaces are detected. This approach also yields…

Study of SU(2,1) character varieties on one-holed torus.