On the Hikami-Inoue conjecture

DOI10.2140/AGT.2020.20.279MaRDI QIDQ1985993zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Jinseok Cho, Seokbeom Yoon, Christian K. Zickert

Publication date 7 April 2020

Published in Algebraic \& Geometric Topology (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1805.11841

zbMATH Keywords

boundary-parabolic representationbraidcluster coordinatesHikami-Inoue conjecturehyperbolic knotPtolemy variety

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Cluster algebras (13F60) Braid groups; Artin groups (20F36) Knot theory (57K10) Hyperbolic 3-manifolds (57K32)

Abstract: Given a braid presentation $D$ of a hyperbolic knot, Hikami and Inoue consider a system of polynomial equations arising from a sequence of cluster mutations determined by $D$. They show that any solution gives rise to shape parameters and thus determines a boundary-parabolic $mathrmPSL(2,mathbbC)$-representation of the knot group. They conjecture the existence of a solution corresponding to the geometric representation. In this paper, we show that a boundary-parabolic representation $ho$ arises from a solution if and only if the length of $D$ modulo $2$ equals the obstruction to lifting $ho$ to a boundary-parabolic $mathrmSL(2,mathbbC)$-representation (as an element in $mathbb{Z}_2$). In particular, the Hikami-Inoue conjecture holds if and only if the length of $D$ is odd. This can always be achieved by adding a kink to the braid if necessary. We also explicitly construct the solution corresponding to a boundary-parabolic representation given in the Wirtinger presentation of the knot group.

Review text

Given a \(3\)-manifold \(M\) with boundary consisting of a non-empty union of tori, a well-known strategy, due to Thurston, to assure that the interior of \(M\) admits a hyperbolic structure is to find an ideal triangulation which can be realised by hyperbolic ideal tetrahedra in such a way that the identifications induce a global hyperbolic structure with finite volume. The problem can be restated in algebraic terms: the existence of a hyperbolic structure for \(M\) corresponds to the existence of a solution of a set of algebraic equations where the variables are the moduli of the ideal tetrahedra of the triangulation. The same strategy can be adapted to find, more generally, representations of the fundamental group of \(M\) into \(\mathrm{SL}(n,{\mathbb C})\) which are parabolic on the peripheral groups, via the so called \textit{Ptolemy coordinates}. Note that the existence of a hyperbolic structure for \(M\) is equivalent to the existence of a discrete and faithful representation of \(\pi_1(M)\) into \(\mathrm{PSL}(2,{\mathbb C})\). If \(M\) is the complement of a knot \(K\) in the \(3\)-sphere, it is possible to define a decomposition into ideal octahedra of the manifold \(M\) with two points removed from a given a diagram presentation of \(K\): a neighbourhood of each crossing in the diagram can be seen as an ideal octahedron with four edges identified in two pairs, two vertices on \(K\), and two vertices on each of the two points removed. On its turn, such a decomposition gives rise to a decomposition into ideal tetrahedra (five for each octahedron). In [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 15, No. 4, 2175--2194 (2015; Zbl 1351.57009)], \textit{K. Hikami} and \textit{R. Inoue} considered the aforementioned triangulations of hyperbolic knot complements derived from planar diagrams of braid closures. For each braid, they provided equations whose solutions give rise to boundary parabolic represenations of the knot group into \(\mathrm{SL}(2,{\mathbb C})\), and conjectured that there exists a solution which is geometric, i.e. discrete and faithful. The authors show that Hikami and Inoue's conjecture holds if and only if the length of the braid is odd. In particular, by Alexander's and Markov's theorems, for every \(K\) it is always possible to find a braid whose closure is \(K\) and such that the associated equations admit a geometric solution.

Recommendations

• Affine cubic surfaces and character varieties of knots
• Quandle theory and the optimistic limits of the representations of link groups
• Octahedral developing of knot complement. I: Pseudo-hyperbolic structure
• A version of the volume conjecture
• Character varieties, \(A\)-polynomials and the AJ conjecture

Cites work

• Braids, complex volume and cluster algebras
• Cluster algebra and complex volume of once-punctured torus bundles and 2-bridge links
• Extended Bloch group and the Cheeger-Chern-Simons class
• Optimistic limit of the colored Jones polynomial and the existence of a solution
• Real places and torus bundles
• The complex volume of \(\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{C})\)-representations of 3-manifolds
• The Ptolemy field of 3-manifold representations
• The volume and Chern-Simons invariant of a representation
• Twisted cohomology for hyperbolic three manifolds

Cited in

(11)

• Octahedral developing of knot complement. I: Pseudo-hyperbolic structure
• On a conjecture raised by Yuzo Hosono
• Quandle theory and the optimistic limits of the representations of link groups
• Partially abelian representations of knot groups
• On the Honda - Kaneko Congruences
• On the potential functions for a link diagram
• Octahedral developing of knot complement II: Ptolemy coordinates and applications
• Redundancy of Triangle Groups in Spherical CR Representations
• Geometric triangulations of a family of hyperbolic 3-braids
• Virtual braids and cluster algebras
• On ideal points of deformation curves of hyperbolic 3-manifolds with one cusp

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