Dunfield–Friedl–Jackson conjecture for hyperbolic knots

Let $K$ be a hyperbolic knot in $S^3$, let $E_K=S^3\setminus\nu(K)$ be its exterior, and let $x(K)$ denote its Thurston norm, equivalently

$$x(K)=2\,\mathrm{genus}(K)-1.$$

Let $\rho^{\mathrm{geom}}$ be a lift of the holonomy representation of $E_K$ to $\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb C)$, and let $\tau_{2,\rho^{\mathrm{geom}}}(t)$ be the associated $\mathbbm C^2$-torsion polynomial. Dunfield–Friedl–Jackson conjecture.

$$x(K)=\frac{1}{2}\deg\tau_{2,\rho^{\mathrm{geom}}}(t),$$

and the exterior $E_K$ fibers over the circle if and only if $\tau_{2,\rho^{\mathrm{geom}}}(t)$ is monic. The degree equality would sharpen the known torsion lower bound for the Thurston norm, while the monicity criterion predicts that the torsion polynomial detects fiberedness. It is known computationally for all hyperbolic knots with at most 15 crossings, but remains a conjecture in general.