A version of the volume conjecture (Q877736)

Let \(K\) be a knot in \(S^3\) whose complement admits a complete hyperbolic structure (unique by Mostow rigidity). Kashaev's volume conjecture relates the asymptotic behaviour of the sequence of complex numbers \(\{J_N'(K)(e^{2i\pi/N})\}_N\) to the volume of \(S^3\setminus K\), endowed with its complete structure, where \(J_N'(K) \in \mathbb{Z}[q^{\pm 1}]\) is the suitably normalized Jones polynomial of \(K\) with colour \(N\). In this paper a version of the volume conjecture is proposed for any knot, and relates \(\{J_N'(K)(e^{2i\pi r/N})\}_N\) to the volume function of representations of the fundamental group of \(S^3\setminus K\) to \(SL(2,\mathbb{C})\). Here, \(r \in \mathbb{C}\) is in a neighborhood of \(1\). This conjecture is proved for torus knots. It was already known for the figure eight-knot by previous work of the author with \textit{Y. Yokota} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 607, 47--68 (2007. Zbl 1128.57011)]. Relations with the Alexander polynomial and a conjecture of S. Gukov are discussed.