A knot invariant via representation spaces (Q1203615)

Let \(\text{SU}_ 2\) be the group of special unitary matrices of rank two and let \(\sigma\) be a braid of rank \(n\). Define \(\sigma^ \wedge\subset S^ 3\) to be the closed braid defined by \(\sigma\). We call two representations of a group in \(\text{SU}_ 2\) equivalent \((\sim)\) iff they differ by an inner automorphism of \(\text{SU}_ 2\). Analogous to Casson's original construction an intersection number of the representation spaces corresponding to a braid representative of a knot \(k\subset S^ 3\) is defined. The construction goes as follows: The braid \(\sigma\) defines an automorphism of \(F_ n\) (the free group of rank \(n)\) and therefore a diffeomorphism (still denoted by \(\sigma)\) of \(R_ n:=\text{Hom}(\pi_ 1(S^ 3\backslash\sigma^ \wedge),\text{SU}_ 2)\). (The fixed point set of \(\sigma\) might be identified with \(\text{Hom}(\pi_ 1(S^ 3\backslash\sigma^ \wedge),\text{SU}_ 2)\).) Assume that \(\sigma^ \wedge\) is a knot and consider the following subspaces of \(R_ n\times R_ n:{\mathcal H}_ n:=\{(X_ 1,\dots,X_ n,Y_ 1,\dots,Y_ n)\in R_ n\times R_ n| X_ 1\cdots X_ n=Y_ 1\cdots Y_ n\}\), \(\Lambda_ n:=\{(X_ 1,\dots,X_ n,X_ 1,\dots,X_ n)\in R_ n\times R_ n\}\), \(\Gamma_ \sigma:=\{(X_ 1,\dots,X_ n,\sigma(X_ 1),\dots,\sigma(X_ n))\in R_ n\times R_ n\}\), \(Q_ n:=\{(X_ 1,\dots,X_ n)\in R_ n|\text{tr}(X_ i)=0\}\), \(H_ n:={\mathcal H}_ n\cap Q_ n\times Q_ n\) and \(S_ n\subset H_ n\) should be the subset consisting of reducible representations. It turns out that the intersection \((\Lambda_ n\backslash S_ n)\cap(\Gamma\backslash S_ n)\) is compact in \(H_ n\). Moreover, for \(\Theta\in\{H_ n,\Gamma_ \sigma,\Lambda_ n\}\) the quotient \(\hat\Theta:=(\Theta\backslash S_ n)/\sim\) is an oriented manifold and the intersection number \(h(\sigma):=\#_{\hat H_ n}(\hat\Lambda_ n,\hat\Gamma_ \sigma)\) is defined. It is proved that for braids \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\) which are defining equivalent knots \(\alpha^ \wedge\cong\beta^ \wedge\subset S^ 3\) one gets \(h(\alpha)=h(\beta)\) and therefore a knot invariant \(h(k)\) is established. In the second part of the paper the equation \(h(k)={1\over 2}\sigma(k)\) is proved where \(\sigma(k)\) denotes the signature of \(k\). It is remarked by the author that the construction can be done by replacing \(Q_ n\) by \(Q^{(r)}_ n:=\{(X_ 1,\dots,X_ n)\in R_ n|\text{tr}(X_ i)=r\}\), where \(r\in\mathbb{R}\), \(-2<r<2\). In order to obtain an invariant \(h^{(r)}(k)\) one should be aware of the fact that \(r\) should not correspond to a zero of \(\Delta_ k(t)\) on the unit circle i.e. \(r=2\cos\varphi\) and \(\Delta(e^{2i\varphi})\neq 0\). It seems that \(h^{(r)}(k)\) is connected to the Levine-Tristram signature i.e. it is obvious to conjecture \(h^{(r)}(k)={1\over 2}\sigma((1-\omega)V+(1- \overline\omega)V^ T)\) where \(V\) denotes a Seifert matrix of \(k\) and \(\omega=e^{2i\varphi}\). (Remark: Throughout the paper Flore should be replaced by Floer).