Abstract
We analyze relations between BPS degeneracies related to Labastida-Mariño-Ooguri-Vafa (LMOV) invariants and algebraic curves associated to knots. We introduce a new class of such curves, which we call extremal A-polynomials, discuss their special properties, and determine exact and asymptotic formulas for the corresponding (extremal) BPS degeneracies. These formulas lead to nontrivial integrality statements in number theory, as well as to an improved integrality conjecture, which is stronger than the known M-theory integrality predictions. Furthermore, we determine the BPS degeneracies encoded in augmentation polynomials and show their consistency with known colored HOMFLY polynomials. Finally, we consider refined BPS degeneracies for knots, determine them from the knowledge of super-A-polynomials, and verify their integrality. We illustrate our results with twist knots, torus knots, and various other knots with up to 10 crossings.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Awata, H., Gukov, S., Sulkowski, P., Fuji, H.: Volume conjecture: refined and categorified. Adv.Theor.Math.Phys., 16, 1669–1777 (2012). arXiv:1203.2182
Aganagic, M., Klemm, A., Vafa, C.: Disk instantons, mirror symmetry and the duality web. Z. Naturforsch. A 57, 1–28 (2002). arXiv:hep-th/0105045
Aiston A.K., Morton H.R.: Idempotents of Hecke algebras of type A. J. Knot Theory Ramifications 7(4), 463–487 (1998)
Aganagic, M., Vafa, C.: Mirror symmetry, D-branes and counting holomorphic discs (2000), arXiv:hep-th/0012041
Aganagic, M., Vafa, C.: Large N Duality, Mirror Symmetry, and a Q-deformed A-polynomial for Knots (2012). arXiv:1204.4709
Borot, G., Eynard, B.: All-order asymptotics of hyperbolic knot invariants from non-perturbative topological recursion of A-polynomials (2012). arXiv:1205.2261
Brini A., Eynard B., Mariño M.: Torus knots and mirror symmetry. Ann. Henri Poincaré 13(8), 1873–1910 (2012)
Beukers F.: Algebraic A-hypergeometric functions. Invent. Math. 180(3), 589–610 (2010)
Beukers F., Heckman G.: Monodromy for the hypergeometric function \({_nF_{n-1}}\). Invent. Math. 95(2), 325–354 (1989)
Cooper D., Culler M., Gillet H., Long D.D., Shalen P.B.: Plane curves associated to character varieties of 3-manifolds. Invent. Math. 118(1), 47–84 (1994)
Chung H.-J., Dimofte T., Gukov S., Sulkowski P.: 3d-3d Correspondence Revisited. JHEP 1604, 140 (2016)
Choi, J., Katz, S., Klemm, A.: The refined BPS index from stable pair invariants. Commun.Math.Phys., 328, 903–954 (2014). arXiv:1210.4403
Dijkgraaf R., Fuji H.: The volume conjecture and topological strings. Fortschr. Phys. 57(9), 825–856 (2009)
Dijkgraaf R., Fuji H., Manabe M.: The volume conjecture, perturbative knot invariants, and recursion relations for topological strings. Nuclear Phys. B 849(1), 166–211 (2011)
Dimofte T., Gaiotto D., Gukov S.: Gauge theories labelled by three-manifolds. Comm. Math. Phys. 325(2), 367–419 (2014)
Dunfield N.M., Gukov S., Rasmussen J.: The superpolynomial for knot homologies. Experiment. Math. 15(2), 129–159 (2006)
Diaconescu, D.E., Shende, V., Vafa, C.: Large N duality, lagrangian cycles, and algebraic knots. Commun.Math.Phys., 319, 813–863 (2013). arXiv:1111.6533
Fuji, Hiroyuki, Gukov, Sergei, Sulkowski, Piotr: Super-A-polynomial for knots and BPS states. Nucl. Phys. B, 867, 506 (2013). arXiv:1205.1515
Fuji, H., Gukov, S., Sulkowski, P., Stosic, M.: 3d analogs of Argyres-Douglas theories and knot homologies. JHEP, 01, 175 (2013). arXiv:1209.1416
Fuji, H., Sulkowski, P.: Super-A-polynomial. Proceedings of Symposia in Pure Mathematics, 90, 277 (2015). arXiv:1303.3709
Garoufalidis, S.: On the characteristic and deformation varieties of a knot. Geom. Topol. Monogr. 7:291–304 (2004). arXiv:math/0306230
Garoufalidis, Stavros: The degree of a q-holonomic sequence is a quadratic quasi-polynomial. Electron. J. Combin., 18(2):Paper 4, 23 (2011)
Garoufalidis, S.: What is a sequence of Nilsson type?. In: Interactions between hyperbolic geometry, quantum topology and number theory, volume 541 of Contemp. Math., pp. 145–157. Amer. Math. Soc., Providence, RI (2011)
Gorsky, E., Gukov, S., Stosic, M.: Quadruply-graded colored homology of knots (2013). arXiv:1304.3481
Gu, J., Hans, J., Albrecht, K., Masoud S.: Knot invariants from topological recursion on augmentation varieties. Commun. Math. Phys. 336(2), 987–1051 (2015). arXiv:1401.5095
Garoufalidis, S., Lê, Thang, T.Q.: The colored Jones function is q-holonomic. Geom. Topol., 9, 1253–1293 (2005) (electronic)
Garoufalidis, S., Lauda, A.D., Lê, T.T.Q.: The colored HOMFLY-PT polynomial is q-holonomic. Preprint (2016)
Gukov S., Stosic M.: Homological algebra of knots and BPS states. Geom. Topol. Monographs 18, 309–367 (2012)
Gukov, S., Sulkowski, P.: A-polynomial, B-model, and Quantization. JHEP, 1202, 070 (2012), arXiv:1108.0002
Gukov S.: Three-dimensional quantum gravity, Chern-Simons theory, and the A-polynomial. Comm. Math. Phys. 255(3), 577–627 (2005)
Hikami, K.: Difference equation of the colored Jones polynomial for torus knot. Internat. J. Math., 15, 959–965 (2004). arXiv:math/0403224
Huang, M.X., Klemm, A., Poretschkin, M.: Refined stable pair invariants for E-, M- and [p, q]-strings. JHEP, 1311, 112 (2013). arXiv:1308.0619
Itoyama H., Mironov A., Morozov A., Morozov An.: HOMFLY and superpolynomials for figure eight knot in all symmetric and antisymmetric representations. JHEP 1207, 131 (2012)
Jockers, H., Klemm, A., Soroush, M.: Torus Knots and the Topological Vertex. Lett.Math.Phys., 104, 953–989 (2014). arXiv:1212.0321
Maxim Kontsevich. Private communication
Kassel C., Reutenauer C.: Algebraicity of the zeta function associated to a matrix over a free group algebra. Algebra Number Theory 8(2), 497–511 (2014)
Kontsevich M., Schwarz A., Vologodsky V.: Integrality of instanton numbers and p-adic B-model. Phys. Lett. B 637(1–2), 97–101 (2006)
Labastida J.M.F., Mariño M.: Polynomial invariants for torus knots and topological strings. Comm. Math. Phys. 217(2), 423–449 (2001)
José M.F.: Labastida and Marcos Mariño. A new point of view in the theory of knot and link invariants. J. Knot Theory Ramifications 11(2), 173–197 (2002)
Labastida, J., Mariño, M.F., Marcos, V.C: Knots, links and branes at large N. J. High Energy Phys., (11):Paper 7, 42 (2000)
Mulase, M., Sulkowski, P.: Spectral curves and the Schrdinger equations for the Eynard-Orantin recursion. Adv. Theor. Math. Phys., 19, 955–1015 (2015). arXiv:1210.3006
Ng L.: Framed knot contact homology. Duke Math. J. 141(2), 365–406 (2008)
Ng L.: Combinatorial knot contact homology and transverse knots. Adv. Math. 227(6), 2189–2219 (2011)
Nawata, S., Ramadevi, P.Z.: Colored HOMFLY polynomials from Chern-Simons theory. J.Knot Theor., 22, 1350078 (2013). arXiv:1302.5144
Nawata, S., Ramadevi, P., Zodinmawia, S.X.: Super-A-polynomials for twist knots. J. High Energy Phys., (11):157, front matter + 38 (2012)
Ooguri, H., Vafa, C.: Knot invariants and topological strings. Nucl. Phys. B 577, 419–438 (2000). arXiv:hep-th/9912123
Ramadevi, P., Sarkar, T.: On link invariants and topological string amplitudes. Nucl. Phys. B 600, 487–511 (2001). arXiv:hep-th/0009188
Schwarz A., Vologodsky V.: Integrality theorems in the theory of topological strings. Nuclear Phys. B 821(3), 506–534 (2009)
Roland Van der V.: The degree of the colored HOMFLY polynomial (2010). arXiv:1501.00123 Preprint
Vologodsky, V.: Integrality of instanton numbers (2007). arXiv:0707.4617
Wedrich, P.: q-holonomic formulas for colored homfly polynomials of 2-bridge links (2014). arXiv:1410.3769 (Preprint)
Zeidler, E.: Quantum field theory. I. Basics in mathematics and physics. Springer-Verlag, Berlin (2006). A bridge between mathematicians and physicists
Zodinmawia, R.P.: Reformulated invariants for non-torus knots and links (2012). arXiv:1209.1346
Zodinmawia, R.P.: SU(N) quantum Racah coefficients and non-torus links. Nucl. Phys., B 870, 205–242 (2013). arXiv:1107.3918
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by M. Salmhofer
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Garoufalidis, S., Kucharski, P. & Sułkowski, P. Knots, BPS States, and Algebraic Curves. Commun. Math. Phys. 346, 75–113 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00220-016-2682-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00220-016-2682-z