A multivariable Casson-Lin type invariant (Q2656653)

The Casson-Lin invariant of a knot \(K\) was originally defined by \textit{X.-S. Lin} [J. Differ. Geom. 35, No. 2, 337--357 (1992; Zbl 0774.57007)] as a signed count of conjugacy classes of trace-free irreducible \(SU(2)\) representations of \(\pi_1(S^3\setminus K)\). Similar invariants have been constructed by other authors for knots by allowing for more general trace conditions as well as for \(2\)-link components by count of a certain type of projective \(SU(2)\)-representations. In this paper, the authors produce a multivariable generalization of the Casson-Lin invariant for colored links in \(S^3\). The invariant is defined as a signed count of irreducible \(SU(2)\)-representations of the link group with fixed meridional traces. For \(2\)-component links with linking number one, the invariant is shown to be a sum of multivariable signatures. Moreover, the authors provide some results concerning deformations of \(SU(2)\)-representations of link groups.