Waist size for cusps in hyperbolic 3-manifolds (Q5957465)

The waist size \(w(M,C)\) of a cusp \(C\) in an orientable 3-manifold \(M\) is the length of the shortest nontrivial curve in the maximal cusp boundary generated by a parabolic isometry. Denote by \({\mathcal M}\) the set of all pairs of a finite volume orientable hyperbolic 3-manifold with a specified cusp wihin that manifold. The author investigates the properties of the function \(w\) from \(\mathcal M\) to \(\mathbb R^+\). Among them are the following: \(w(\mathcal M)\) is not bounded from above. There exists an infinite set of singly cusped hyperbolic 3-manifolds having the same waist size. For any positive integer \(N\), there exist at least \(N\) distinct knots, all with the same waist size. For any hyperbolic 3-manifold \(M\) and any one orientable cusp \(C\) within it, \(w(M,C)\geq 1\). Moreover, there is a unique manifold/cusp pair such that \(w(M,C)=1\), that being the figure-eight knot complement with its only cusp.