Counting $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ connections on Seifert-fibered spaces

We study the $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ character variety of a Seifert-fibered homology $3$-sphere from the point of view of gauge theory. Namely, we introduce a class of perturbations of the $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ Chern–Simons functional and prove a localisation result: the perturbed critical points either approach a compact subset of the $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ character variety or else `escape to infinity’. Furthermore, the Euler characteristic and Poincaré polynomial of the stable locus of the character variety are obtained by suitably counting the localising critical points. As an application, we obtain formulae for the Euler characteristic and Poincaré polynomial of the stable locus of the $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ character variety of a Seifert-fibered homology $3$-sphere. In particular, we prove that the Euler characteristic equals the Milnor number (divided by four) of any weighted-homogeneous isolated complete intersection singularity whose link is the given $3$-manifold.