Quadratic integer programming and the slope conjecture (Q323954)

The authors consider a two-parameter family of knots comprising, amongst others, the torus knots of type \((2,2k+1)\) and the non-alternating pretzel knots. Each knot of the family is obtained as the image of a fixed component of a three-component link after surgery on the other two components (the fixed component forms a \((2,4)\)-torus link with each of the other two components which, on their turn, form a trivial unlink). The two integer parameters of the family correspond to the surgery coefficients. For the knots of the family they compute the degrees of their colored Jones polynomials using the definition of the polynomial as a state sum and solving a quadratic integer programming problem. Thanks to previous results by \textit{N. M. Dunfield} and \textit{S. Garoufalidis} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 364, No. 11, 6109--6137 (2012; Zbl 1281.57012)] the authors conclude that the \textsl{Jones Slope conjecture} holds for these knots. The conjecture, originally due to Garoufalidis, claims that a finite set of rational values retrieved from the degree of the Jones polynomial correspond to boundary slopes of the knot. Recall that a slope on the boundary of the knot exterior is a \textsl{boundary slope} if there is a properly embedded essential surface in the knot complement whose boundary components are parallel to the given slope.