Totally geodesic Seifert surfaces in hyperbolic knot and link complements. II (Q927624)

Let \(L\) be a hyperbolic link in the 3-sphere \(S^3\). Then, there is a covering map from the hyperbolic 3-dimensional space \(\mathbb H^3\) to \(S^3-L\) such that the covering translations are isometries of \(\mathbb H^3\). An embedding or immersed surface in \(S^3-L\) is called \textit{totally geodesic} if it is isotopic to a surface that is covered by a set of geodesic planes in \(\mathbb H^3\). In part I of this paper [Geom. Dedicata 116, 237--247 (2005; Zbl 1092.57003)], \textit{C. Adams} and \textit{E. Schoenfeld} provided a method to construct a totally geodesic Seifert surface. In this paper, the authors generalize this method, and then find large classes of totally geodesic Seifert surfaces in hyperbolic knot and link complements, each covering a rigid 2-orbifold embedded in some hyperbolic 3-orbifold. They provide a uniqueness theorem and demonstrate that many knots cannot possess totally geodesic Seifert surfaces by giving bounds on the width invariant in the presence of such a surface. Finally, these examples are used to prove that the Six theorem is sharp for knot complements. The Six theorem is a theorem proved independently by \textit{I. Agol} [Geom. Topol. 4, 431--449 (2000; Zbl 0959.57009)] and \textit{M. Lackenby} [Invent. Math. 140, No.~2, 243--282 (2000; Zbl 0947.57016)].