Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2006 / iii / Paper 22 / 3

Write the flat connection as $d+A_{x}dx+A_{y}dy$ in a global unitary frame. Solve the matrix ordinary differential equationSmooth dependence on parameters gives a smooth solution on the entire open square. Since $A_x$ is skew-Hermitian and trace free, differentiating $u^{\ast }u$ and $\det u$ shows that $u(x,y)\in SU(2)$. Under the bundle gauge transformation $u$, the transformed connection hasIts vector-bundle curvature is still zero. The remaining vector-bundle curvature equation is ${\partial }_x{A}_y^{\prime }=0$, so $A_y^{\prime }=B(y)$ is independent of $x$. Now solve $v^{\prime }(y)=-B(y)v(y)$ with $v(0)=I$. Again $v\in SU(2)$; this second bundle gauge transformation, independent of $x$, leaves $A_x^{\prime }=0$ and makes $A_y^{\prime \prime }=0$. Thus the original connection is gauge equivalent to the trivial connection. Both transformations exist on the whole square, not just in a small coordinate neighborhood.

For a connected base with a chosen frame at a base point, flat connections modulo the based unitary gauge group correspond to flat holonomy representations ${\pi }_1(X,x)\to G$. Removing the frame, or allowing the full unitary bundle gauge group, also divides by conjugation in $G$. On a prescribed underlying bundle, retain only those representations whose associated flat bundle has that bundle type.

The correspondence can be seen directly. Zero vector-bundle curvature makes parallel transport invariant under homotopies of paths with fixed endpoints, giving a group homomorphism on loops. Conversely, a representation $\rho$ gives the flat bundle $(\tilde{X}\times G)/{\pi }_1(X)$, with the deck action on the first factor and $\rho$ on the second, and the product horizontal distribution descends. If two framed connections have identical holonomies, compare their parallel transports along a path from the base point to each point. The comparison is path independent and defines a bundle gauge transformation equal to the identity at the base point. These constructions are inverse. This is framed flat connections and holonomy.

The punctured torus retracts onto a wedge of two circles, so its fundamental group is the free group $F_2$. A representation into $SU(2)$ is specified freely by the two generator images $(A,B)$, with no relation. Every resulting principal $SU(2)$ bundle is trivial, since a bundle with connected structure group over a graph is trivial. Thus no representation is excluded by the fixed trivial-bundle condition. Holonomy depends continuously on a connection, and the flat-bundle construction gives locally continuous choices of representatives as the two matrices vary; local choices of paths in $SU(2)$ give this continuity without requiring a global logarithm. ConsequentlyThe last identification is the description of $SU(2)$ by unit quaternions. The unbased quotient used next is simultaneous conjugation, not independent conjugation of the two generator images.

By part (b), the moduli space is $M(T)=SU(2{)}^2/SU(2)$ under simultaneous conjugation. Regard $SU(2)$ as the unit quaternions and writewith $u,v\in {\mathbb{R}}^3$. Conjugation rotates both imaginary vectors by the same element of $SO(3)$. Their lengths and inner product determine an orbit, even when one vector vanishes or the vectors are collinear: an isometry between the two spanned planes can be extended to an orientation-preserving rotation of ${\mathbb{R}}^3$. Thus complete invariants areEvery allowed triple is realized by a pair of vectors with the prescribed lengths and dot product. The induced continuous bijection from the compact quotient to this closed subset of ${\mathbb{R}}^3$ is a homeomorphism.

Let $U$ be the subset where $A\ne \pm 1$, equivalently $-1<a<1$. It is open and dense because the excluded first holonomies can be approximated by noncentral ones. Rotate $u$ to the positive $i$ axis, so $A=a+\sqrt{1-a^2}i$. Its remaining stabilizer rotates the $j,k$ plane. If $B=b+ti+yj+zk$, the orbit is determined by $(b,t)$, andwith the remaining radius $\sqrt{1-b^2-t^2}$. These coordinates give the corrected resultContinuity of the inverse follows by taking $y=\sqrt{1-b^2-t^2}$ and $z=0$ as a representative. The complement consists of $A=1$ and $A=-1$, separately. In either case conjugation classes of $B$ are parametrized by its real part $b\in [-1,1]$. Therefore $M(T)\setminus U$ is two disjoint closed intervals, as requested.

The printed $S^2$ factor is incorrect: the factor must be a closed disk. The stabilizer acts by conjugation, fixing the circle of quaternions $b+ti$; it is not the free Hopf circle action on $S^3$. To rule out a different choice of dense open set with the printed topology, we can also identify the whole space. Replace $c$ by $d=ab+c$. The invariant region becomesThese are the Gram matrices of the three unit vectors $1,A,B$ in ${\mathbb{R}}^4$. Conversely, a positive-semidefinite matrix of this form can be realized by such vectors, hence by the original quaternion data. The set $\mathcal{C}$ is compact and convex and contains the identity matrix as an interior point in its three coordinates. Radial parametrization of a convex body therefore identifies it with a closed three-ball. ThusThis also agrees with Theorem 6.5 of the primary character-variety paper.

An open subset homeomorphic to the boundaryless three-manifold $S^2\times (0,1)$ cannot contain a boundary point of this closed ball. Otherwise a local chart, followed by inclusion into ${\mathbb{R}}^3$, would be a continuous injection from an open subset of ${\mathbb{R}}^3$ whose image contains a ball-boundary point while staying inside the closed ball, contradicting invariance of domain. Its complement would therefore contain the entire boundary sphere. But a sphere cannot embed in two disjoint intervals: its connected image would lie in one interval and be a nondegenerate compact interval, whose interior points disconnect it, unlike $S^2$. This proves that the literal printed pair of claims is impossible, and supplies the complete corrected SU2 character variety of the punctured torus description.