The volume conjecture for augmented knotted trivalent graphs (Q1017846)

The volume conjecture [see \textit{R. M. Kashaev}, Lett. Math. Phys. 39, No.~3, 269--275 (1997; Zbl 0876.57007), \textit{H. Murakami} and \textit{J. Murakami}, Acta Math. 186, No.~1, 85--104 (2001; Zbl 0983.57009)] states that for any knot \(K\) \[ \lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} \frac{2\pi}{n} \log \left|J_n(K)\left(e^\frac{\pi i}{2 n}\right)\right|= \text{Vol} (\mathbb S^3 \setminus K ), \] where \(J_n\) is the \(n\)-colored Jones polynomial of \(K\) and Vol is the simplicial volume. The SO(3)-volume conjecture is the same statement where \(n\) is restricted to be odd. This modified version is expected to hold for links. The author proposes a generalization of the SO(3)-volume conjecture to knotted trivalent graphs (KTGs), [see \textit{D. P. Thurston}, The algebra of knotted trivalent graphs and Turaev's shadow world. In: Ohtsuki, T. (ed.) et al., Invariants of knots and 3-manifolds. Proceedings of the workshop, Kyoto, Japan, September 17--21, 2001. Coventry: Geometry and Topology Publications. Geom. Topol. Monogr. 4, 337--362 (2002; Zbl 1163.57301)]. A KTG is a thickened trivalent one-dimensional complex embedded as a surface into \(\mathbb S^3\). The author proves that any KTG can be obtained from the standard tetrahedron using a combination of four certain operations (the KTG moves). These moves can be used to read the colored Jones invariant of the KTG. A fifth set of operations is introduced (the \(n\)-unzips) that consists of splitting (unzipping) an edge into two parallel edges and adding \(n\) parallel rings encircling the two new unzipped edges. An augmented KTG is a KTG that is obtained from the standard tetrahedron, using the KTG moves but replacing the unzip moves by \(n\)-unzips. The conjecture is proved for augmented KTGs with sufficiently many augmentation rings. As a corollary it is re-proved that every link is a sublink of an arithmetic link [see \textit{M. D. Baker}, Pac. J. Math. 203, No.~2, 257--263 (2002; Zbl 1051.57007)].