We exhibit infinitely many hyperbolic $3$-manifold groups that are not right-orderable.

Upper bounds of second order Dehn functions of asynchronously automatic groups are obtained.

Erratum to {\it The Lehmer Polynomial and Pretzel Links}, Canad. J. Math. {\bf 44}(2001), 440--451.

We give a topological interpretation of the core group invariant of a surface embedded in $S^4$ \cite{F-R}, \cite{Ro}. We show that the group is isomorphic to the free product of the fundamental group of the double branch cover of $S^4$ with the surface as a branched set, and the infinite cyclic group. We present a generalization for unoriented surfaces, for other cyclic branched covers, and other codimension two embeddings of manifolds in spheres.

In this paper we find a formula for the Alexander polynomial $\Delta_{p_1,\dots,p_k} (x)$ of pretzel knots and links with $(p_1,\dots,p_k, \nega 1)$ twists, where $k$ is odd and $p_1,\dots,p_k$ are positive integers. The polynomial $\Delta_{2,3,7} (x)$ is the well-known Lehmer polynomial, which is conjectured to have the smallest Mahler measure among all monic integer polynomials. We confirm that $\Delta_{2,3,7} (x)$ has the smallest Mahler measure among the polynomials arising as $\Delta_{p_1,\dots,p_k} (x)$.

Any knot in a 3-dimensional homology sphere is homotopic to a knot with trivial Alexander polynomial.