Dehn surgery, the fundamental group and \(\operatorname{SU}(2)\) (Q1769985)

Let \(K\) be a non-trivial knot in \(S^3\) and let \(Y_r\) be the \(3\)-manifold obtained by Dehn surgery on \(K\) with surgery-coefficient \(r\in \mathbb{Q}\). The authors prove that if \(| r| \leq 2\) then the fundamental group of \(Y_r\) is not cyclic. In fact, the result was already known for all \(r\in \mathbb{Q}\), except \(r=\pm 2\); in particular, the case \(r=\pm 1\) (Property P conjecture) is the main result of a previous paper by the same authors [\textit{P. B. Kronheimer} and \textit{T. S. Mrowka}, Geom. Topol. 8, 295--310 (2004; Zbl 1072.57005)]. Although the arguments of the two papers are similar, the present paper uses the method of \textit{holonomy perturbations} for the instanton equations, instead of using Floer's exact triangle. Moreover, the authors provide a proof of the Property P conjecture which is independent of the cyclic surgery theorem [\textit{M. Culler, C. McA. Gordon, J. Luecke} and \textit{P. B. Shalen}, Ann. Math. (2) 125, 237--300 (1987; Zbl 0633.57006)].