A quadratic parabolic group

Abstract

When k is a 2-bridge knot with group πK, there are parabolic representations (p-reps) θ: πK → PSL(): = PSL(2, ). The most obvious problem that this suggests is the determination of a presentation for an image group πKθ. We shall settle the easiest outstanding case in section 2 below, viz. k the figure-eight knot 41, which has the 2-bridge normal form (5, 3). We shall prove that the (two equivalent) p-reps θ for this knot are isomorphisms of πK on πKθ. Furthermore, the universal covering space of S3\k can be realized as Poincaré's upper half space 3, and πKθ is a group of hyperbolic isometries of 3 which is also the deck transformation group of the covering 3 → S3\k. The group πKθ is a subgroup of two closely related groups that we study in section 3. We shall give fundamental domains, presentations, and other information for all these groups.