Noncyclic covers of knot complements (Q2487751)

\textit{J. Hempel} [Combinatorial group theory and topology, Sel. Pap. Conf., Alta/Utah 1984, Ann. Math. Stud. 111, 379--396 (1987; Zbl 0772.57002)] has shown that the fundamental groups of knot complements are residually finite. This implies that every nontrivial knot has a finite-sheeted, noncyclic cover. In this paper, the author gives an explicit bound, \(\Phi(c)\), such that if \(K\) is a nontrivial knot in the three sphere with a diagram of \(c\) crossings then the complement of \(K\) has a finite-sheeted, noncyclic cover with at most \(\Phi(c)\) sheets.