On manifolds with multiple lens space fillings (Q485082)

The cyclic surgery theorem, due to Culler-Gordon-Luecke-Shalen, states that for a compact, connected, orientable, irreducible three-manifold \(M\) whose boundary is a torus \(T\), if \(M\) is not a Seifert-fibered space and \(r, s\) are slopes on \(T\) such that their Dehn fillings have cyclic fundamental group, then the distance between \(r\) and \(s\) (the minimal number of times that two simple closed curves in \(T\) representing \(r\) and \(s\) must intersect) is at most \(1\). Consequently, there are at most three Dehn fillings of \(M\) with cyclic fundamental group (lens space fillings). {\parindent=6mm In the present paper under review, the authors examine the sharpness of the cyclic surgery theorem from the following aspects: \begin{itemize} \item[-] Classify the one-cusped hyperbolic manifolds that are obtained by filling of the exterior of the Minimally Twisted 5 Chain link that have three lens space fillings (Theorem 1), \item [-] Show that the doubly primitive knots in \(S^3\) and \(S^1 \times S^2\) have no unexpected extra lens space surgery (Theorem 10), \item [-] Determine the non-hyperbolic manifolds with at least two lens space fillings (Theorem 13), and \item [-] Conclude that the Figure Eight Knot Sister manifold is the only non-Seifert fibered manifold with a properly embedded once-punctured torus and three lens space fillings (Corollary 40). \end{itemize}} Based on these results, the authors propose the following conjecture. {Conjecture 2}: Let \(M\) be a \(3\)-manifold whose boundary is a torus. If \(M\) admits three lens space fillings along distinct slopes, then either \(M\) is the exterior of a torus knot in a lens space or \(M\) belongs to family \(\mathcal{A}\) or \(\mathcal{B}\) as defined below \(\mathcal{A}=\{ M_3(2-\frac{1}{m}, 3-\frac{1}{n}) \mid m, n\in \mathbb{Z}\}\) and \(\mathcal{B}=\{ M_3(5/2, p/q) \mid p, q\in \mathbb{Q}\cup\{1/0\}\}\) \noindent where \(M_3\) is the exterior of the pretzel link \(P(2, 2, 2)\).