\(6j\)-symbols, hyperbolic structures and the volume conjecture (Q2464837)

This paper attacks the problem of determining the asymptotical behaviour of the quantum SU(2) invariants of links in 3-manifolds by using constructions based on the \(6j\)-symbols of the quantum group \(U_q(\text{sl}_2)\). These \(6j\)-symbols may be considered as rational functions of the variable \(q\), parametrized by six ``admissible'' half-integer numbers. The first result shows that for any sequence of admissible 6-tuples \((b_1^n,\dots,b_6^n)\) such that the \(| 2\pi(b_i^n/n - 1/2)|\) converge to the internal dihedral angles \(\alpha_i\) of a (unique) hyperbolic hyperideal tetrahedron \(T(\alpha_i)\), the lowest order term of the Laurent series expansion around \(q=\exp(2\pi\sqrt{-1})\) of the \(6j\)-symbols grows exponentially as \(n/\pi\) times the volume of the tetrahedron \(T(\alpha_i)\). This result is complementary to that of \textit{Y. U. Taylor} and \textit{C. T. Woodward} [Sel. Math., New Ser. 11, No. 3--4, 539--571 (2005; Zbl 1162.17306)], describing the asymptotical behaviour in terms of the geometry of spherical tetrahedra, when the colors \(b_i^n\) satisfy ``Reshetikhin-Turaev'' admissibility constraints. Then, the paper applies this result to the colored Jones invariants, previously extended by the author as rational functions associated to links in connected sums of copies of \(S^2\times S^1\) in [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 76, No. 1, 1--15 (2007; Zbl 1153.57003)]. It is shown that for an infinite family of hyperbolic ``fundamental shadow links'' \(L\) in such manifolds, and colors \(b_i^n\) growing like \(n(1+a_i)/2\) with \(a_i\) near \(0\) at each component of \(L\), the lowest order term of the Laurent series expansion of the colored Jones invariants around \(q=\exp(2\pi\sqrt{-1})\) grows exponentially as \(n/2\pi\) times the volume of the complement of \(L\), endowed with the hyperbolic structure with meridian holonomies conjugate to \(\text{diag}(e^{\pi\sqrt{-1}a_i},e^{\pi\sqrt{-1}a_i})\). This extends the Kashaev-Murakami-Murakami volume conjecture, which holds for links in the three-sphere, and is closely related to \textit{S. Gukov}'s generalization in [Commun. Math. Phys. 255, No. 3, 577--627 (2005; Zbl 1115.57009)].