Complements of hyperbolic knots of braid index four contain no closed embedded totally geodesic surfaces (Q5960416)

The main result is the following Theorem : Let \(K\) be a knot in \(S^3\) represented as a closed 4-braid, let \(N(K)\) be a regular neighborhood of \(K\) and \(F\) a connected closed essential surface embedded in \(S^3-K\). Then at least one of the following holds: (i) The surface \(F\) is meridionally compressible. (ii) The knot \(K\) is isotopic to a simple closed curve in \(F\). (iii) The closure of the component of \(S^3-N(K)\) which does not contain \(K\) contains a properly embedded essential annulus. The author sets this result in relation to the following conjecture of Menasco and Reid, which is also stated as problem 1.76 in Kirby's list [Problems in low-dimensional topology, AMS/IP Stud. Adv. Math. 2 (pt. 2), 35-473 (1997; Zbl 0888.57014)]: Conjecture : A hyperbolic knot does not have a closed totally geodesic surface embedded in its complement. Indeed, the author shows that his theorem implies that hyperbolic knots of braid index four satisfy the conjecture.