Related papers: Character varieties, A-polynomials, and the AJ Con…

We define a polynomial invariant $J_n^T$ of links in the thickened torus. We call $J^T_n$ the $n$th toroidal colored Jones polynomial, and show it satisfies many properties of the original colored Jones polynomial. Most significantly,…

To a knot in 3-space, one can associate a sequence of Laurent polynomials, whose $n$th term is the $n$th colored Jones polynomial. The paper is concerned with the asymptotic behavior of the value of the $n$th colored Jones polynomial at…

We suggest a new construction for the Quantum Groups - Jones polynomials of torus knots in terms of the PBW theorem of DAHA for any root systems and weights (justified for type A). The main focus is on the DAHA super-polynomials, a stable…

The canonical components of SL_2-character varieties of arithmetic two bridge link groups are determined.

Let M be an orientable, cusped hyperbolic 3-manifold of finite volume. We show that the restriction map from a Dehn surgery component in the PSL(2,C)-character variety of M to the character variety of the boundary of M is a birational…

Many well studied knots can be realized as positive braid knots where the braid word contains a positive full twist; we say that such knots are twist positive. Some important families of knots are twist positive, including torus knots,…

Given a knot in 3-space, one can associate a sequence of Laurrent polynomials, whose $n$th term is the $n$th colored Jones polynomial. The Generalized Volume Conjecture states that the value of the $n$-th colored Jones polynomial at $\exp(2…

We develop skein theory for 3-manifolds in the presence of codimension-one defects, focusing especially on defects arising from parabolic induction/restriction for quantum groups. We use these defects as a model for the quantum decorated…

In this paper, we compute the motive of the character variety of representations of the fundamental group of the complement of an arbitrary torus knot into $SL_4(k)$, for any algebraically closed field $k$ of zero characteristic. For that…

The colored HOMLFY polynomial is an important knot invariant depending on two variables $a$ and $q$. We give bounds on the degree in both $a$ and $q$ generalizing Morton's bounds \cite{Mo86} for the ordinary HOMFLY polynomial. Our bounds…

Suppose the knot group G(K) of a knot K has a non-abelian representation \rho on A_4 \subset GL(4,Z). We conjecture that the twisted Alexander polynomial of K associated to \rho is of the form: \Delta_K(t)/(1-t) \phi(t^3), where \Delta_K…

A theorem of Jorgensen and Thurston implies that the volume of a hyperbolic 3-manifold is bounded below by a linear function of its Heegaard genus. Heegaard surfaces and bridge surfaces often exhibit similar topological behavior; thus it is…

We prove a global local rigidity result for character varieties of 3-manifolds into $\rm{SL}_2$. Given a 3-manifold with toric boundary $M$ satisfying some technical hypotheses, we prove that all but a finite number of its Dehn fillings…

We reveal a relationship between the colored Jones polynomial and the A-polynomial for twist knots. We demonstrate that an asymptotics of the $N$-colored Jones polynomial in large $N$ gives the potential function, and that the A-polynomial…

We define homotopy-theoretic invariants of knots in prime 3-manifolds. Fix a knot J in a prime 3-manifold M. Call a knot K in M concordant to J if it cobounds a properly embedded annulus with J in MxI, and call K J-characteristic if there…

We study the topology of the boundary manifold of a line arrangement in CP^2, with emphasis on the fundamental group G and associated invariants. We determine the Alexander polynomial Delta(G), and more generally, the twisted Alexander…

The physical 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ theory T[Y] was previously used to predict the existence of some 3-manifold invariants $\hat{Z}_{a}(q)$ that take the form of power series with integer coefficients, converging in the unit disk. Their radial…

Spacetime properties of superstrings on AdS_3 x S^3 x S^3 x S^1 are studied. The boundary theory is a two dimensional superconformal field theory with a large N=(4,4) supersymmetry.

Let M a 3-manifold with torus boundary which is a rational homology circle. We study deformations of reducible representations of p_1(M) into PSL_2(C) associated to a simple zero of the twisted Alexander polynomial. We also describe the…

Let G be the fundamental group of the complement of the torus knot of type (m,n). This has a presentation G=<x,y|x^m=y^n>. We find the geometric description of the character variety X(G) of characters of representations of G into SL(3,C),…