Symmetric representations of knot groups (Q762805)

Given elements \(\mu\), \(\lambda\) in the symmetric group, \(S_ n\), when does there exist a knot \(k\subset S^ 3\) and a representation \(\pi_ 1(S^ 3-k)\to S_ n\) taking the meridian to \(\mu\) and the longitude to \(\lambda\) ? This paper provides the necessary and sufficient conditions: 1) \(\mu\) and \(\lambda\) commute, 2) \(\lambda\) lies in the second commutator subgroup of the normal closure of \(\mu\), and 3) the Pontryagin product \(<\mu,\lambda >=0\). A corollary shows that in any 4-fold simple (meridian corresponds to a transposition) branched cover of \(S^ 3\), branched over a knot, the branching set has exactly three components. This settles problem 1.24 of \textit{R. Kirby} [Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 32, Part 2, 273-312 (1978; Zbl 0394.57002)]. As pointed out in an addendum, this work overlaps with \textit{D. Johnson}, ''Peripherally specified homomorphisms of knot groups'', Trans. Am. Math. Soc. (to appear).