Mahler measure, links and homology growth (Q697822)

The authors show that the growth rate of the order of the torsion subgroup of the first homology group of finite abelian covers of \(S^3\) branched along a link is equal to the Mahler measure of the Alexander polynomial, by combining results from algebraic dynamics with the Alexander module of a link. As a consequence of the proof above, they obtain a new proof of a theorem of \textit{C. McA. Gordon} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 168, 357-370 (1972; Zbl 0238.55001)]. They also give an example that illustrates the main idea of the proof.