arXiv research

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…

The paper studies symplectic structures on character varieties of Sasakian threefolds.

Study on skein module dimensions at irreducible representations.

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.

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

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

In this paper we consider some families of links, including (-2,2m+1,2n)-pretzel links and twisted Whitehead links. We calculate the character varieties of these families, and determine the number of irreducible components of these character varieties.

The paper studies how the singularity of character varieties changes when representations are extended.

We describe a family of hyperbolic knots whose character variety contain exactly two distinct components of characters of irreducible representations. The intersection points between the components carry rich topological information. In particular, these points are non-integral and detect the Seifert surface.

Culler-Shalen theory uses the algebraic geometry of the SL(2,C)-character variety of a 3-manifold to construct essential surfaces in the manifold. There are module structures associated to the coordinate rings of the irreducible components of character varieties that are intimately related to essential surface construc…

Defines character varieties for real forms of complex classical groups and proves their properties.

For each even classical pretzel knot $P(2k_1+1,2k_2+1,2k_3)$, we determine the character variety of irreducible ${\rm SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$-representations, and clarify the steps of computing its A-polynomial.

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 va…

Study character variety of a special 3-manifold, finding a polynomial formula.

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…

We study the universal character ring of some families of one-relator groups. As an application, we calculate the universal character ring of two-generator one-relator groups whose relators are palindrome, and, in particular, of the (-2,2m+1,2n+1)-pretzel knot for all integers m and n. For the (-2,3,2n+1)-pretzel knot,…

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…

Anosov representations of surface groups are complex manifolds.

Let $Γ$ be a finitely generated group and $G$ a real form of $\mathrm{SL}_n(\mathbb{C})$. We propose a definition for the $G$-character variety of $Γ$ as a subset of the $\mathrm{SL}_n(\mathbb{C})$-character variety of $Γ$. We consider two anti-holomorphic involutions of the $\mathrm{SL}_n(\mathbb{C})$ character variet…

Character varieties of prime knots have high-dimensional components.

Study on skein modules and character varieties of Seifert manifolds.

We establish a canonical gluing procedure for Seiberg-Witten monopoles on the two pieces of a closed, oriented 4-manifold X which is split along a 3-dimensional closed, oriented submanifold. We only assume that the (unperturbed) character variety is Kuranishi-smooth and the limiting maps are transversal -- then we will…

Method determines SL(2,C) character variety for Montesinos knots.

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…

Character varieties of knot groups into SU(3) are stratified and analyzed.

Quantum trace maps abelian character varieties to SL2 character varieties.

We compute both natural and smooth models for the $SL_2(\mathbb C)$ character varieties of the two component double twist links, an infinite family of two-bridge links indexed as $J(k,l)$. For each $J(k,l)$, the component(s) of the character variety containing characters of irreducible representations are birational to…

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…

Let $G$ be a group with a finite subgroup $H$. We define the $L^2$-multiplicity of an irreducible representation of $H$ in the $L^2$-homology of a proper $G$-CW-complex. These invariants generalize the $L^2$-Betti numbers. Our main results are approximation theorems for $L^2$-multiplicities which extend the approximati…

Let $Γ$ be the fundamental group of the exterior of a knot in the three-sphere. We study deformations of representations of $Γ$ into $\mathrm{SL}_n(\mathbf{C})$ which are the sum of two irreducible representations. For such representations we give a necessary condition, in terms of the twisted Alexander polynomial, for…

A Kauffman bracket on a surface is an invariant for framed links in the thickened surface, satisfying the Kauffman skein relation and multiplicative under superposition. This includes representations of the skein algebra of the surface. We show how an irreducible representation of the skein algebra usually specifies a …

The paper explores algebraic properties of Alexander polynomials and Reidemeister torsions for torus knots.

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({…

Let $M$ be a $3$-manifold, compact with boundary and $Γ$ its fundamental group. Consider a complex reductive algebraic group G. The character variety $X(Γ,G)$ is the GIT quotient $\mathrm{Hom}(Γ,G)//G$ of the space of morphisms $Γ\to G$ by the natural action by conjugation of $G$. In the case $G=\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb C…

Introduces holed cone structures to generalize cone structures on 3-manifolds.

Characterizes Anosov reducible representations in terms of eigenvalues.

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

Characterizes character varieties of generalized torus knot groups.

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…

This is the third article in the series begun with [BonWon3, BonWon4], devoted to finite-dimensional representations of the Kauffman bracket skein algebra of an oriented surface $S$. In [BonWon3] we associated a classical shadow to an irreducible representation $ρ$ of the skein algebra, which is a character $r_ρ\in \ma…

In this paper, we give a complete characterization on which finitely generated subgroups of finitely generated $3$-manifold groups are separable. Our characterization generalizes Liu's spirality character on $π_1$-injective immersed surface subgroups of closed $3$-manifold groups. A consequence of our characterization …

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 quan…

New invariant derived from skein algebra representations at roots of unity.

Let G be a compact, semi-simple Lie group and H a maximal rank reductive subgroup. The irreducible representations of G can be constructed as spaces of harmonic spinors with respect to a Dirac operator on the homogeneous space G/H twisted by bundles associated to the irreducible, possibly projective, representations of…

We study properties of irreducible and completely reducible representations of finitely generated groups Gamma into reductive algebraic groups G in in the context of the geometric invariant theory of the G-action on Hom(Gamma,G) by conjugation. In particular, we study properties of character varieties, X_G(Gamma)=Hom(G…

We use intersection theory techniques to define an invariant of closed 3-manifolds counting the characters of irreducible representations of the fundamental group in PSL(2,C). We note several properties of the invariant and compute the invariant for certain Seifert fibered spaces and for some Dehn surgeries on twist kn…

We present a complete classification and the construction of $\mathrm{Mp}(2n+2,\mathbb{R})$-equivariant differential operators acting on the principal series representations, associated to the contact projective geometry on $\mathbb{RP}^{2n+1}$ and induced from the irreducible $\mathrm{Mp}(2n,\mathbb{R})$-submodules of…

In this note, we embed the set of all Fricke characters of a free group F -- the set of all characters of representations of F into SL(2,C) -- as an irreducible affine variety V in complex affine space of dimension 2^n-1. Using the Horowitz generating set as the indeterminates, we show that the ideal I of all polynomia…