The universal perturbative quantum 3-manifold invariant, Rozansky-Witten invariants, and the generalized Casson invariant (Q2390674)

Let \(\Omega\) be the universal perturbative invariant for three-manifolds introduced in [\textit{T. T. Q. Le, J. Murakami} and \textit{T. Ohtsuki}, Topology 37, No. 3, 539--574 (1998; Zbl 0897.57017)]. The authors of the paper under review prove that \(\Omega(M)=1\) when \(\beta_1(M)>3\), and that it is completely determined by the cohomology ring of \(M\) when \(\beta_1(M)=3\), where \(\beta_1(M)\) is the first Betti number of a three-manifold \(M\). It is observed, from a physics view point, that \(W_{X}\left(\Omega_n(M)\right)=Z_{X}(M)\) when \(\beta_1(M)>0\), where \(\Omega_n\) is the \(n\)-th degree part of \(\Omega\), \(Z_{X}\) is the Rozansky-Witten invariant associated with a hyper-Kähler manifold \(X\) of dimension \(4n\), and \(W_{X}\) is the corresponding weight system [\textit{L. Rozansky} and \textit{E. Witten}, Sel. Math., New Ser. 3, No.~3, 401--458 (1997; Zbl 0908.53027)]. A possible way to generalize the Casson invariant is also proposed by using \(\Omega\) and \(W_{X}\).