Quantum invariants of hyperbolic knots and extreme values of trigonometric products (Q2172489)

The colored Jones polynomial \(J_{K,n}(q)\) of a knot \(K\) can be understood as a sequence of polynomials with integer coefficients that take values in \(\mathbb{Z}[q,q^{-1}]\) [\textit{H. Murakami} and \textit{J. Murakami}, Acta Math. 186, No. 1, 85--104 (2001; Zbl 0983.57009)]. The polynomial \(J_{K,2}(q)\) is the original Jones polynomial [\textit{V. F. R. Jones}, Ann. Math. (2) 126, 335--388 (1987; Zbl 0631.57005)]. The study of the colored Jones polynomial of knots is closely related to the study of identities of \(q\)-series, such as Rogers-Ramanujan type identities. Let \(K\) be the \textit{figure eight} knot. The authors of the paper under review investigate the relation between the function \(J_{K,0}(q)\) and \textit{C. Sudler jun.}'s trigonometric product [Q. J. Math., Oxf. II. Ser. 15, 1--10 (1964; Zbl 0151.01402)]. They compute \(J_{K,0}(q)\) up to a constant factor along continued fraction convergents to a quadratic irrational. Furthermore, they establish asymptotic upper and lower bounds for such Sudler products.