On the existence of representations of finitely presented groups in compact Lie groups (Q392827)

In this paper the author proves two existence results for representations of the fundamental group of a finite, connected 2-dimensional CW-complex \(X\) into compact, connected Lie groups \(G\). First, he shows that if the second Betti number is 0 and \(G\) is arbitrary, then representations exist taking any \(r\) elements of the fundamental group which map linearly independent elements in first homology to any \(r\) elements of \(G\). From this the author recovers a result of \textit{J. Stallings} from [J. Algebra 2, 170--181 (1965; Zbl 0135.05201)] that the \(r\) chosen elements of \(\pi_1(X)\) form the basis for a free subgroup of \(\pi_1(X)\). Second, if the first Betti number of \(X\) is 1 and the cup product on \(H^1(X; \mathbb Q)\) is non-zero, then for \(r-2\) carefully chosen elements of \(\pi_1(X)\) and a carefully chosen element in \(H^2(X; \mathbb Z/2)\) there is a representation of \(\pi_1(X)\) in \(SO(3)\) which is trivial on the \(r-2\) specified elements of first homology and has Stiefel-Whitney class equal to the prescribed element of \(H^2(X;\mathbb Z/2)\). Further the image of the representation is not contained in the maximal torus in \(SO(3)\). As one application, the author recovers a result of \textit{E. Harper} and \textit{N. Saveliev} from [J. Knot Theory Ramifications 21, No. 5, 1250054, 8 p. (2012; Zbl 1237.57034)], namely that if \(L\) is a two-component link in an integral homology sphere such that the linking number of the two components is non-zero, then there is a flat connection in the non-trivial \(SO(3)\)-bundle over the link complement.