Quantum hyperbolic invariants of 3-manifolds with PSL\((2,\mathbb C)\)-characters (Q1888452)

In [Mod. Phys. Lett. A 9, 40, 3757-3768 (1994; Zbl 1015.17500) and A. I. Bobenko, R. Seiler (Eds.), Discrete Integrable Geometry and Physics, Oxford Science Publications, New York 16, 343-359 (1999; Zbl 0930.57009)], \textit{R. M. Kashaev} proposed a conjectural family \(\{K_N\}\), \(N>1\) odd, of complex-valued topological invariants for pairs \((W,L)\), where \(W\) is a closed oriented 3-manifold and \(L\) is a link in \(W\). The invariants should be state sums \(K_N(\mathcal T)\), where \(\mathcal T\) is a decorated triangulation for \((W,L)\), and where the state sums come from the Faddeev-Kashaev quantum dilogarithms. These invariants were conjectural, as the existence of the decorated triangulations was not clear and the invariance of \(K_N(\mathcal T)\) was not completely established. Kashaev did justify the invariant \(K_N(S^3,L)\) in [Mod. Phys. Lett. A 10, 19, 1409-1418 (1995; Zbl 1022.81574)] essentially by avoiding the troublesome triangulation \(\mathcal T\). In the current paper, the authors define invariants \(K_N(W,L,\rho)\), where \(\rho\) is a flat principle PSL\((2,\mathbb C)\)-bundle over \(W\). Appropriate decorated triangulations are defined and shown to exist, and invariance is established. Kashaev's Volume Conjecture for colored Jones invariants of hyperbolic knots in \(S^3\) is discussed in this framework.