Hyperbolic volume and mod \(p\) homology (Q1313264)

The main result of this paper is that if \(M\) is a closed orientable hyperbolic \(n\)-manifold such that no subgroup of finite index in \(\pi_ 1(M)\) can be generated by three elements then \(M\) contains a hyperbolic ball of radius \((\log 5)/2(n - 1)\). The heart of the argument involves examining the nerve of a covering of hyperbolic \(n\)-space whose members are tubular neighbourhoods of axes of maximal cyclic subgroups of \(\pi_ 1(M)\). The group-theoretic hypothesis always holds if \(n = 3\) and \(H_ 1(M;Z/pZ)\) has rank at least 5, for some prime \(p\) [the second author and \textit{P. Wagreich}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 331, No. 2, 895-917 (1992; Zbl 0768.57001)]. In particular, the volume of such a 3-manifold is greater than \(0.35\).