Links with finite \(n\)-quandles (Q2409807)

A quandle is a set \(Q\) with a binary operation \(\ast: Q\times Q\rightarrow Q\) which satisfies several axioms; quandles have been widely studied in low-dimensional topology in the recent 30 years. For a given link \(L\), similar to the fundamental group \(\pi_1(S^3-L)\), one can define the fundamental quandle \(Q(L)\). It is well-known that \(Q(L)\) is a complete invariant up to reversed mirror image. In the paper under review, the authors consider a quotient of \(Q(L)\), called the fundamental \(n\)-quandle \(Q_n(L)\). Roughly speaking, the fundamental \(n\)-quandle \(Q_n(L)\) can be obtained from \(Q(L)\) by adding relations \(x_i\ast^n x_j=x_i\) for all distinct pairs of generators \(x_i\) and \(x_j\). Although in general \(Q(L)\) is infinite, for some cases the fundamental \(n\)-quandle \(Q_n(L)\) is finite. As the main result of this paper, the authors prove that \(Q_n(L)\) is finite if and only if \(\pi_1(\widetilde{M}_n(L))\) is finite, where \(\widetilde{M}_n(L)\) denotes the \(n\)-fold cyclic branched cover of \(S^3\) over \(L\). The necessary part actually follows from Joyce's PhD thesis. Since this result did not appear in Joyce's well-known paper [\textit{D. Joyce}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 23, 37--65 (1982; Zbl 0474.57003)], the authors rewrote the proof providing many details. For the sufficient part of the proof, the authors extend a result by Joyce from the fundamental quandle to the fundamental \(n\)-quandle. Finally, several concrete examples of finite \(Q_n(L)\) are provided for some small \(n\).