A two-variable series for knot complements (Q2043516)

The GPPV invariant, also known as \(\widehat Z\), is an invariant of closed \(3\)-manifolds introduced by \textit{S. Gukov} et al. [J. High Energy Phys. 2017, No. 7, Paper No. 71, 82 p. (2017; Zbl 1380.58018)], and \textit{S. Gukov} et al. [J. Knot Theory Ramifications 29, No. 2, Article ID 2040003, 85 p. (2020; Zbl 1448.57020)]. More precisely, \(\widehat Z\) is an invariant of a closed \(3\)-manifold with a spin\(^c\) structure, and it takes the form of a \(q\)-series with integer coefficients (up to a minor overall normalization). Based on physics considerations, the GPPV invariant is predicted to exist for any closed \(3\)-manifold; mathematically rigorous constructions exists for certain restricted classes of \(3\)-manifolds. Specifically, the references above gave a rigorous formulation for a certain class of negative definite plumbed \(3\)-manifolds. In the case of Seifert fibered integer homology spheres with three singular fibers, the \(\widehat Z\)-invariant recovers the \(q\)-series introduced and studied by \textit{R. Lawrence} and \textit{D. Zagier} [Asian J. Math. 3, No. 1, 93--107 (1999; Zbl 1024.11028)]. The authors of this reference showed that in this case the \(q\)-series are holomorphic functions in the unit disk, whose radial limits to roots of unity give a renormalization of the Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev invariant, a feature that is conjectured to hold for a certain sum over the spin\(^c\) structures of the \(\widehat Z\)-invariant of negative definite plumbed \(3\)-manifolds. One of the reasons the \(\widehat Z\)-invariant is of substantial interest is that it provides an approach to categorifying quantum invariants of \(3\)-manifolds; indeed there is a physics proposal for a homology theory, due to Gukov, Pei, Putrov and Vafa, based on the theory of BPS states. The paper under review gives a mathematical account of the GPPV invariant of negative definite plumbed \(3\)-manifolds, and it extends \(\widehat Z\) to \(3\)-manifolds with torus boundary; a gluing formula is proved. The main focus is on the case of knot complements. This is a far-reaching extension because it enables the use of Dehn surgery techniques in the study of the \(\widehat Z\)-invariant for more general \(3\)-manifolds. The invariant of a knot complement \(Y\) in a \(3\)-manifold \(\widehat Y\) (determined by a plumbing graph with a distinguished vertex, satisfying a weakly negative definite condition) and a relative spin\(^c\) structure \(a\) takes the form of a series in two variables \(z,q\), \(\widehat Z_a(Y; z, n, q)\), which also depends on a variable \(n \in \mathbb{Z}\). The gluing formula for two \(3\)-manifolds along their common torus boundary, \(Y=Y_1\cup_{T^2} Y_2\), expresses the \(\widehat Z\)-invariant of \(Y\) (with the spin\(^c\) structure obtained by gluing two relative spin\(^c\) structures on \(Y_1, Y_2\)) as a certain contour integral over \(z\) and a sum over \(n\in \mathbb{Z}\) of the product of the invariants of \(Y_1, Y_2\). The main new notion introduced in this paper is a knot invariant which is a \(2\)-variable series, \( F_K(x, q)\). Given a knot \(K\subset \widehat Y\), \[ F_K(x, q) \; \in \; 2^{-c} q^{\Delta} \mathbb{Z}[x^{1/2}, x^{-1/2}][q^{-1},q]],\] where \(c \in \mathbb{Z}_+\) and \(\Delta \in \mathbb{Q}\) are certain normalization constants. The series \( F_K(x, q)\) determines both the invariants \(\widehat Z_a(Y; z, n, q)\) of the knot complement, and the invariants \(\widehat Z_a(Y_{p/r})\) of Dehn surgeries along the knot \(K\). For knots in \(S^3\), conjectures are formulated that the two-variable series \(F_K(x,q)\) is obtained by resurgence from the asymptotic expansion of the colored Jones polynomial, and that the terms in this series satisfy a recurrence given by the quantum \(A\)-polynomial. A wealth of open questions and conjectures about the structure of \(F_K\) and its relation to other quantum invariants are stated, which have already influenced research in the subject since the publication of the paper. The paper gives calculations of \(F_K(x,q)\) in the case of knots given by negative definite plumbings with an unframed vertex, such as torus knots. Numerical calculations are given for the figure-eight knot, thus yielding first information about the \(\widehat{Z}\) invariant of some hyperbolic \(3\)-manifolds.