Computing twisted Alexander polynomials for Montesinos links (Q2243092)

For a given link \(L\subset S^3\), there is associated to each linear representation \(\rho\) of \(\Pi(L):=\pi_1(S^3\setminus L)\), the twisted Alexander polynomial \(\Delta_{L,\rho}\). This non-abelian invariant has played an important role in low-dimensional topology. In the literature, there are few computations of this invariant for families of links or families of representations. Indeed, unlike the ordinary Alexander polynomial, in general there is no ``skein relation'' to use. In this paper, the author develops for Montesinos links an efficient method to compute the twisted Alexander polynomial associated to any linear representation. In particular, formulas for multivariable Alexander polynomials of these links can be easily derived.