Torsion functions on moduli spaces in view of the cluster algebra (Q2339886)

Let \(S\) be a noncompact surface of finite topological type and \(\varphi\) a pseudo-Anosov mapping class on \(S\). Then the mapping torus \(M_\varphi\) is an hyperbolic three--manifold. This allows to define, for each \(n\), a representation of \(\pi_1 M_\varphi\) by taking the composition of the holonomy representation of \(M_\varphi\) with the representation of \(\mathrm{PGL}_2(\mathbb{C})\) in \(\mathrm{PGL}_n(\mathbb{C})\). The paper under review gives a combinatorial method to compute the twisted Alexander polynomial and the Reidemeister torsion associated to this representation. The latter was originally studied by \textit{J. Porti} [Reidemeister torsion for hyperbolic varieties. Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 612, 139 p. (1997; Zbl 0881.57020)] in the case \(n = 2\) in a more general setting that we now describe. Let \(M\) is an hyperbolic manifold of finite volume having \(m\) cusps. To any representation \(\rho\) of \(\pi_1 M\) into \(\mathrm{PGL}_n(\mathbb{C})\) and choice of a basis \((\gamma_1,\ldots,\gamma_m)\) of the first homology of \(M\) one can associate the Reidemeister torsion \(T_{(\gamma_1,\ldots,\gamma_m),\rho}(M)\) of \(M\) with coefficients in the adjoint representation \(\mathfrak{pgl}_n(\mathbb{C})\). Given in addition a morphism \(\psi:\: \pi_1 M\to \langle t \rangle\) one can define the Reidemeister torsion \(\tau_{\psi\otimes\rho}(M)\) of the associated infinite cover, which is essentially an element of \(\mathbb{C}[t^{\pm 1}]\) (the twisted Alexander polynomial). The two are related as follows: the numerical Reidemeister torsion \(T\) is the first nonzero term in the Taylor series (of order \(m(n-1)\)) of the Alexander polynomial at \(t=1\) (this generalizes a result for knots due to \textit{J. Dubois} [Can. Math. Bull. 49, No. 1, 55--71 (2006; Zbl 1101.57010)]). Let \(\mathcal{X}_{S,n}\) be the character variety associated to representations of \(\pi_1(S)\) into \(\mathrm{PGL}_n(\mathbb{C})\). In [Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 103, 1--211 (2006; Zbl 1099.14025)] \textit{V. Fock} and \textit{A. Goncharov} constructed, from an ideal triangulation \(T\) of \(S\), a parametrization \(\nu_T\) of a Zariski-dense subset of \(\mathcal{X}_{S,n}\) by a torus \(\mathcal{X}_{T,n}\). The action of mapping classes on \(\mathrm{X}_{S,n}\) can be read by combinatorial means on the other side of the morphism \(\nu_T\) using cluster algebras. The main results in this paper give a computation of the Reidemeister torsions \(\tau_{\rho\otimes\psi}(M_\varphi)\) and \(T_{(\gamma_1,\ldots,\gamma_m),\rho}(M_\varphi)\) from the partial derivatives at the restriction of \(\rho\) to \(\pi_1 S\) of the \(\varphi\)-action on \(\mathcal{X}_{T,n}\) in the Fock--Goncharov coordinates. They are exemplified by computations for some simple monodromies on the one-cusped torus, including the figure-eight complement.