We make use of the 3D nature of knots and links to find savings in computational complexity when computing knot invariants such as the linking number and, in general, most finite type invariants. These savings are achieved in comparison with the 2D approach to knots using knot diagrams.
In 2017 Bar-Natan and the first author showed that solutions to the Kashiwara--Vergne equations are in bijection with certain knot invariants: homomorphic expansions of welded foams. Welded foams are a class of knotted tubes in $mathbb{R}^4$, which c
an be finitely presented algebraically as a circuit algebra, or, equivalently, a wheeled prop. In this paper we describe the Kashiwara-Vergne groups $mathsf{KV}$ and $mathsf{KRV}$ -- the symmetry groups of Kashiwara-Vergne solutions -- as automorphisms of the completed circuit algebras of welded foams, and their associated graded circuit algebra of arrow diagrams, respectively. Finally, we provide a description of the graded Grothendieck-Teichmuller group $mathsf{GRT}_1$ as automorphisms of arrow diagrams.
Let $mathfrak{g}$ be a semisimple simply-laced Lie algebra of finite type. Let $mathcal{C}$ be an abelian categorical representation of the quantum group $U_q(mathfrak{g})$ categorifying an integrable representation $V$. The Artin braid group $B$ of
$mathfrak{g}$ acts on $D^b(mathcal{C})$ by Rickard complexes, providing a triangulated equivalence $Theta_{w_0}:D^b(mathcal{C}_mu) to D^b(mathcal{C}_{w_0(mu)})$, where $mu$ is a weight of $V$ and $Theta_{w_0}$ is a positive lift of the longest element of the Weyl group. We prove that this equivalence is t-exact up to shift when $V$ is isotypic, generalising a fundamental result of Chuang and Rouquier in the case $mathfrak{g}=mathfrak{sl}_2$. For general $V$, we prove that $Theta_{w_0}$ is a perverse equivalence with respect to a Jordan-Holder filtration of $mathcal{C}$. Using these results we construct, from the action of $B$ on $V$, an action of the cactus group on the crystal of $V$. This recovers the cactus group action on $V$ defined via generalised Schutzenberger involutions, and provides a new connection between categorical representation theory and crystal bases. We also use these results to give new proofs of theorems of Berenstein-Zelevinsky, Rhoades, and Stembridge regarding the action of symmetric group on the Kazhdan-Lusztig basis of its Specht modules.
Circuit algebras, introduced by Bar-Natan and the first author, are a generalization of Joness planar algebras, in which one drops the planarity condition on connection diagrams. They provide a useful language for the study of virtual and welded tang
les in low-dimensional topology. In this note, we present the circuit algebra analogue of the well-known classification of planar algebras as pivotal categories with a self-dual generator. Our main theorem is that there is an equivalence of categories between circuit algebras and the category of linear wheeled props - a type of strict symmetric tensor category with duals that arises in homotopy theory, deformation theory and the Batalin-Vilkovisky quantization formalism.
The crystals for a finite-dimensional complex reductive Lie algebra $mathfrak{g}$ encode the structure of its representations, yet can also reveal surprising new structure of their own. We study the cactus group $C_{mathfrak{g}}$, constructed using t
he Dynkin diagram of $mathfrak{g}$, and its combinatorial action on any $mathfrak{g}$-crystal via Sch{u}tzenberger involutions. We compare this action with that of the Berenstein-Kirillov group on Gelfand-Tsetlin patterns. Henriques and Kamnitzer define an action of $C_n=C_{mathfrak{gl}_n}$ on $n$-tensor products of $mathfrak{g}$-crystals, for any $mathfrak{g}$ as above. We discuss the crystal corresponding to the $mathfrak{gl}_n times mathfrak{gl}_m$-representation $Lambda^N(mathbb{C}^n otimes mathbb{C}^m),$ derive skew Howe duality on the crystal level and show that the two types of cactus group actions agree in this setting. A future application of this result is discussed in studying two families of maximal commutative subalgebras of the universal enveloping algebra, the shift of argument and Gaudin algebras, where an algebraically constructed monodromy action matches that of the cactus group.
We initiate the representation theory of the degenerate affine periplectic Brauer algebra on $n$ strands by constructing its finite-dimensional calibrated representations when $n=2$. We show that any such representation that is indecomposable and doe
s not factor through a representation of the degenerate affine Hecke algebra occurs as an extension of two semisimple representations with one-dimensional composition factors; and furthermore, we classify such representations with regular eigenvalues up to isomorphism.
Given a Schubert class on $Gr(k,V)$ where $V$ is a symplectic vector space of dimension $2n$, we consider its restriction to the symplectic Grassmannian $SpGr(k,V)$ of isotropic subspaces. Pragacz gave tableau formulae for positively computing the ex
pansion of these $H^*(Gr(k,V))$ classes into Schubert classes of the target when $k=n$, which corresponds to expanding Schur polynomials into $Q$-Schur polynomials. Coskun described an algorithm for their expansion when $kleq n$. We give a puzzle-based formula for these expansions, while extending them to equivariant cohomology. We make use of a new observation that usual Grassmannian puzzle pieces are already enough to do some $2$-step Schubert calculus, and apply techniques from quantum integrable systems (``scattering diagrams).
Fix a semisimple Lie algebra g. Gaudin algebras are commutative algebras acting on tensor product multiplicity spaces for g-representations. These algebras depend on a parameter which is a point in the Deligne-Mumford moduli space of marked stable ge
nus 0 curves. When the parameter is real, then the Gaudin algebra acts with simple spectrum on the tensor product multiplicity space and gives us a basis of eigenvectors. In this paper, we study the monodromy of these eigenvectors as the parameter varies within the real locus; this gives an action of the fundamental group of this moduli space, which is called the cactus group. We prove a conjecture of Etingof which states that the monodromy of eigenvectors for Gaudin algebras agrees with the action of the cactus group on tensor products of g-crystals. In fact, we prove that the coboundary category of normal g-crystals can be reconstructed using the coverings of the moduli spaces. Our main tool is the construction of a crystal structure on the set of eigenvectors for shift of argument algebras, another family of commutative algebras which act on any irreducible g-representation. We also prove that the monodromy of such eigenvectors is given by the internal cactus group action on g-crystals.
We study generalizations of a classical link invariant -- the multivariable Alexander polynomial -- to tangles. The starting point is Archibalds tMVA invariant for virtual tangles which lives in the setting of circuit algebras, and whose target space
has dimension that is exponential in the number of strands. Using the Hodge star map and restricting to tangles without closed components, we define a reduction of the tMVA to an invariant rMVA which is valued in matrices with Laurent polynomial entries, and so has a much more compact target space. We show the rMVA has the structure of a metamonoid morphism and is further equivalent to a tangle invariant defined by Bar-Natan. This invariant also reduces to the Gassner representation on braids and has a partially defined trace operation for closing open strands of a tangle.
We prove that the Gromov width of coadjoint orbits of the symplectic group is at least equal to the upper bound known from the works of Zoghi and Caviedes. This establishes the actual Gromov width. Our work relies on a toric degeneration of a coadjoi
nt orbit to a toric variety. The polytope associated to this toric variety is a string polytope arising from a string parametrization of elements of a crystal basis for a certain representation of the symplectic group.
