Filling Links and Essential Systole

Abstract

We answer a question of Freedman and Krushkal, producing filling links in any closed, orientable 3-manifold. The links we construct are hyperbolic, and have large essential systole, contrasting earlier geometric constraints on hyperbolic links in 3-manifolds due to Adams-Reid and Lakeland-Leininger.

arXiv commentPaper is more clear now thanks to referee comments; the proofs are largely unchanged. No AI use. To appear in Comment. Math. Helv