For every oriented surface of finite type, we construct a functorial Khovanov homology for links in a thickening of the surface, which takes values in a categorification of the corresponding gl(2) skein module. The latter is a mild refinement of the Kauffman bracket skein algebra, and its categorification is constructed using a category of gl(2) foams that admits an interesting non-negative grading. We expect that the natural algebra structure on the gl(2) skein module can be categorified by a tensor product that makes the surface link homology functor monoidal. We construct a candidate bifunctor on the target category and conjecture that it extends to a monoidal structure. This would give rise to a canonical basis of the associated gl(2) skein algebra and verify an analogue of a positivity conjecture of Fock--Goncharov and Thurston. We provide evidence towards the monoidality conjecture by checking several instances of a categorified Frohman-Gelca formula for the skein algebra of the torus. Finally, we recover a variant of the Asaeda--Przytycki--Sikora surface link homologies and prove that surface embeddings give rise to spectral sequences between them.
In this paper, we prove Khovanov-Lauda's cyclotomic categorification conjecture for all symmetrizable Kac-Moody algebras. Let $U_q(g)$ be the quantum group associated with a symmetrizable Cartan datum and let $V(Λ)$ be the irreducible highest weight $U_q(g)$-module with a dominant integral highest weight $Λ$. We prove that the cyclotomic Khovanov-Lauda-Rouquier algebra $R^Λ$ gives a categorification of $V(Λ)$.
We generalize our previous work on categorification of Kauffman bracket skein module of surfaces, by extending our homology to tangles in cylinders over surfaces, F x [0,1]. Our homology of 0-tangles and 1-tangles in D^3 coincides (up to normalization) with Khovanov link homology and the reduced Khovanov link homology. We prove the basic properties of our homology. In particular, the short exact sequence of homologies of skein related tangles and the Kunneth formula for the tensor product of tangles.
The working mathematician fears complicated words but loves pictures and diagrams. We thus give a no-fancy-anything picture rich glimpse into Khovanov's novel construction of `the categorification of the Jones polynomial'. For the same low cost we also provide some computations, including one that shows that Khovanov's invariant is strictly stronger than the Jones polynomial and including a table of the values of Khovanov's invariant for all prime knots with up to 11 crossings.
In this paper I define certain interesting 2-functors from the Khovanov-Lauda 2-category which categorifies quantum sl(k), for any k>1, to a 2-category of universal sl(3) foams with corners. For want of a better name I use the term "foamation" to indicate those 2-functors. I conjecture the existence of similar 2-functors to the 2-category of sl(n) foams with corners, for any n>1.
We present an easy example of mutant links with different Khovanov homology. The existence of such an example is important because it shows that Khovanov homology cannot be defined with a skein rule similar to the skein relation for the Jones polynomial.
We study a presentation of Khovanov - Lauda - Rouquier's candidate $2$-categorification of a quantum group using algebraic rewriting methods. We use a computational approach based on rewriting modulo the isotopy axioms of its pivotal structure to compute a family of linear bases for all the vector spaces of $2$-cells in this $2$-category. We show that these bases correspond to Khovanov and Lauda's conjectured generating sets, proving the non-degeneracy of their diagrammatic calculus. This implies that this $2$-category is a categorification of Lusztig's idempotent and integral quantum group $\…
We construct 2-functors from a 2-category categorifying quantum sl(n) to 2-categories categorifying the irreducible representation of highest weight $ 2 ω_k. $
Given a vector space with an action of a semi-simple Lie algebra, we can try to "categorify" this representation, which means finding a category where the generators of the Lie algebra act by functors. Such categorical representations arise naturally in geometric representation theory and in modular representation theory of symmetric groups. A framework for studying categorical representations was introduced by Rouquier and Khovanov-Lauda. Their definitions are algebraic/diagrammatic, but are connected to the topology of quiver varieties by the work of Rouquier and Varagnolo-Vasserot. In this …
We construct an explicit isomorphism between blocks of cyclotomic Hecke algebras and (sign-modified) Khovanov-Lauda algebras in type A. These isomorphisms connect the categorification conjecture of Khovanov and Lauda to Ariki's categorification theorem. The Khovanov-Lauda algebras are naturally graded, which allows us to exhibit a non-trivial Z-grading on blocks of cyclotomic Hecke algebras, including symmetric groups in positive characteristic.
We categorify the extended affine Hecke algebra and the affine quantum Schur algebra S(n,r) for 2 < r < n, using Elias-Khovanov and Khovanov-Lauda type diagrams. We also define the affine analogue of the Elias-Khovanov and the Khovanov-Lauda 2-representations of these categorifications into an extension of the 2-category of affine (singular) Soergel bimodules.
We prove full functoriality of Khovanov homology for tangled framed gl2 webs. We use this functoriality result to prove a strong positivity result for (orientable) surface skein algebras. The argument goes categorical and consists in proving that so-called linear complexes are stable under superposition.
Khovanov defined graded homology groups for links L in R^3 and showed that their polynomial Euler characteristic is the Jones polynomial of L. Khovanov's construction does not extend in a straightforward way to links in I-bundles M over surfaces F not D^2 (except for the homology with Z/2 coefficients only). Hence, the goal of this paper is to provide a nontrivial generalization of his method leading to homology invariants of links in M with arbitrary rings of coefficients. After proving the invariance of our homology groups under Reidemeister moves, we show that the polynomial Euler character…
Khovanov homology extends to singular links via a categorified analogue of Vassiliev skein relation. In view of Vassiliev theory, the extended Khovanov homology can be seen as Vassiliev derivatives of Khovanov homology. In this paper, we develop a new method to compute the first derivative. Namely, we introduce a complex, called a crux complex, and prove that the Khovanov homologies of singular links with unique double points are homotopic to cofibers of endomorphisms on crux complexes. Since crux complexes are actually small for some links, the result enables a direct computation of the first…
Khovanov homology ist a new link invariant, discovered by M. Khovanov, and used by J. Rasmussen to give a combinatorial proof of the Milnor conjecture. In this thesis, we give examples of mutant links with different Khovanov homology. We prove that Khovanov's chain complex retracts to a subcomplex, whose generators are related to spanning trees of the Tait graph, and we exploit this result to investigate the structure of Khovanov homology for alternating knots. Further, we extend Rasmussen's invariant to links. Finally, we generalize Khovanov's categorifications of the colored Jones polynomial…
We prove that the Khovanov homology of the 2-cable detects the unknot. A corollary is that Khovanov's categorification of the 2-colored Jones polynomial detects the unknot.
We introduce a new skein module for three manifolds based on properly embedded surfaces and their relations introduced by D.Bar-Natan, and modified by M.Khovanov. We compute the structure of the modules for some manifolds, including Seifert fibred manifolds.
We construct knot invariants categorifying the quantum knot variants for all representations of quantum groups. We show that these invariants coincide with previous invariants defined by Khovanov for sl(2) and sl(3) and by Mazorchuk-Stroppel and Sussan for sl(n). Our technique uses categorifications of the tensor product representations of Kac-Moody algebras and quantum groups, constructed a prequel to this paper. These categories are based on the pictorial approach of Khovanov and Lauda. In this paper, we show that these categories are related by functors corresponding to the braiding and (co…
We construct a Kirby color in the setting of Khovanov homology: an ind-object of the annular Bar-Natan category that is equipped with a natural handle slide isomorphism. Using functoriality and cabling properties of Khovanov homology, we define a Kirby-colored Khovanov homology that is invariant under the handle slide Kirby move, up to isomorphism. Via the Manolescu--Neithalath 2-handle formula, Kirby-colored Khovanov homology agrees with the $\mathfrak{gl}_{2}$ skein lasagna module, hence is an invariant of $4$-dimensional $2$-handlebodies.
We define a family of formal Khovanov brackets of a colored link depending on two parameters. The isomorphism classes of these brackets are invariants of framed colored links. The Bar-Natan functors applied to these brackets produce Khovanov and Lee homology theories categorifying the colored Jones polynomial. Further, we study conditions under which framed colored link cobordisms induce chain transformations between our formal brackets. We conjecture that, for special choice of parameters, Khovanov and Lee homology theories of colored links are functorial (up to sign). Finally, we extend the …
We construct a bicomplex for the categorification of the colored Jones polynomial. This work is motivated by the problem suggested by Anna Beliakova and Stephan Wehrli who discussed the categorification of the colored Jones polynomial in their paper.
This thesis studies the Bar-Natan skein module of the solid torus with a particular boundary curve system, and in particular a diagrammatic presentation of it due to Russell. This module has deep connections to topology and categorification: it is isomorphic to both the total homology of the (n,n)-Springer variety and the 0th Hochschild homology of the Khovanov arc ring H^n. We can also view the Bar-Natan--Russell skein module from a representation-theoretic viewpoint as an extension of the Frenkel--Khovanov graphical description of the Lusztig dual canonical basis of the nth tensor power of t…
There is a $p$-differential on the triply-graded Khovanov--Rozansky homology of knots and links over a field of positive characteristic $p$ that gives rise to an invariant in the homotopy category finite-dimensional $p$-complexes. A differential on triply-graded homology discovered by Cautis is compatible with the $p$-differential structure. As a consequence we get a categorification of the colored Jones polynomial evaluated at a $2p$th root of unity.
We discuss a new perspective on Khovanov homology, using categorifications of tensor products. While in many ways more technically demanding than Khovanov's approach (and its extension by Bar-Natan), this has distinct advantage of directly connecting Khovanov homology to a categorification of \$(\mathbb{C}^2)^{\otimes \ell}\$, and admitting a direct generalization to other Lie algebras. While the construction discussed is a special case of that given in previous work of the author, this paper contains new results about the special case of \$\mathfrak{sl}_2\$ showing an explicit connection to B…
The Temperley-Lieb algebra is a fundamental component of SU(2) topological quantum field theories. We construct chain complexes corresponding to minimal idempotents in the Temperley-Lieb algebra. Our results apply to the framework which determines Khovanov homology. Consequences of our work include semi-orthogonal decompositions of categorifications of Temperley-Lieb algebras and Postnikov decompositions of all Khovanov tangle invariants.
We study the maps induced on link Floer homology by elementary decorated link cobordisms. We compute these for births, deaths, stabilizations, and destabilizations, and show that saddle cobordisms can be computed in terms of maps in a decorated skein exact triangle that extends the oriented skein exact triangle in knot Floer homology. In particular, we completely determine the Alexander and Maslov grading shifts. As a corollary, we compute the maps induced by elementary cobordisms between unlinks. We show that these give rise to a $(1+1)$-dimensional TQFT that coincides with the reduced Khovan…
Morrison, Walker, and Wedrich used the blob complex to construct a generalization of Khovanov-Rozansky homology to links in the boundary of a 4-manifold. The degree zero part of their theory, called the skein lasagna module, admits an elementary definition in terms of certain diagrams in the 4-manifold. We give a description of the skein lasagna module for 4-manifolds without 1- and 3-handles, and present some explicit calculations for disk bundles over $S^2$.
We consider colored operads and their actions on categories. As a special example we construct a cobordism category with a colored operad action arising from oriented planar arc diagrams. This is used to construct an invariant of oriented tangle diagrams with values in the homotopy category attached to the cobordism category. Motivated by Bar-Natan's categorification of the Jones polynomial, it categorifies the quantum $sl_n$ quantum invariants and is adapted to the categorification of the $sl_n$ quantum invariants by Khovanov and Rozansky using matrix factorizations. We conjecture to exist th…
In this paper, we discuss a proof of the isotopy invariance of a parametrized Khovanov link homology including categorifications of the Jones polynomial and the Kauffman bracket polynomial though it is a known fact. In order to present a proof easy-to-follow, we give an explicit description of retractions and chain homotopies between complexes to induce the invariance under isotopy of links. This is a refined version of arXiv: 0907.2104.
A braid-like isotopy for links in 3-space is an isotopy which uses only those Reidemeister moves which occur in isotopies of braids. We define a refined Jones polynomial and its corresponding Khovanov homology which are, in general, only invariant under braid-like isotopies.
In their paper entitled "Quantum Enhancements and Biquandle Brackets," Nelson, Orrison, and Rivera introduced biquandle brackets, which are customized skein invariants for biquandle-colored links. These invariants generalize the Jones polynomial, which is categorified by Khovanov homology. At the end of their paper, Nelson, Orrison, and Rivera asked if the methods of Khovanov homology could be extended to obtain a categorification of biquandle brackets. We outline herein a Khovanov homology-style construction that is an attempt to obtain such a categorification of biquandle brackets. The resul…
We explain how Queffelec-Sartori's construction of the HOMFLY-PT link polynomial can be interpreted in terms of parabolic Verma modules for $\mathfrak{gl}_{2n}$. Lifting the construction to the world of categorification, we use parabolic 2-Verma modules to give a higher representation theory construction of Khovanov-Rozansky's triply graded link homology.
In this paper we categorify the q-Schur algebra S(n,d) as a quotient of Khovanov and Lauda's diagrammatic 2-category U(sln). We also show that our 2-category contains Soergel's monoidal category of bimodules of type A, which categorifies the Hecke algebra H(d), as a full sub-2-category if d does not exceed n. For the latter result we use Elias and Khovanov's diagrammatic presentation of Soergel's monoidal category of type A.
Using a modified foam evaluation, we give a categorification of the Alexander polynomial of a knot. We also give a purely algebraic version of this knot homology which makes it appear as the infinite page of a spectral sequence starting at the reduced triply graded link homology of Khovanov--Rozansky.
We construct a p-DG structure on an algebra Koszul dual to a zigzag algebra used by Khovanov and Seidel to construct a categorical braid group action. We show there is a braid group action in this p-DG setting.
In this thesis we define and study a categorification of the sl(N)-link polynomial using foams, for N\geq 3. For N=3 we define the universal sl(3)-link homology, using foams, which depends on three parameters and show that it is functorial, up to scalars, with respect to link cobordisms. Our theory is integral. We show that tensoring it with Q yields a theory which is equivalent to the rational universal Khovanov-Rozansky sl(3)-link homology. For N\geq 4 we construct a rational theory categorifying the sl(N)-link polynomial using foams. Our theory is functorial, up to scalars, with respect to …
Mikhail Khovanov in math.QA/9908171 defined, for a diagram of an oriented classical link, a collection of groups numerated by pairs of integers. These groups were constructed as homology groups of certain chain complexes. The Euler characteristics of these complexes are coefficients of the Jones polynomial of the link. The goal of this note is to rewrite this construction in terms more friendly to topologists. A version of Khovanov homology for framed links is introduced. For framed links whose Kauffman brackets are involved in a skein relation, these homology groups are related by an exact se…
We give a definition of monoidal categorifications of quantum cluster algebras and provide a criterion for a monoidal category of finite-dimensional graded $R$-modules to become a monoidal categorification of a quantum cluster algebra, where $R$ is a symmetric Khovanov-Lauda-Rouquier algebra. Roughly speaking, this criterion asserts that a quantum monoidal seed can be mutated successively in all the directions once the first-step mutations are possible. In the course of the study, we also give a proof of a conjecture of Leclerc on the product of upper global basis elements.
In this paper, we study 2-representations of 2-quantum groups (in the sense of Rouquier and Khovanov-Lauda) categorifying tensor products of irreducible representations. Our aim is to construct knot homologies categorifying Reshetikhin-Turaev invariants of knots for arbitrary representations, which will be done in a follow-up paper. We consider an algebraic construction of these categories, via an explicit diagrammatic presentation, generalizing the cyclotomic quotient of the quiver Hecke algebra. One of our primary results is that these categories coincide when both are defined. We also inves…
We use Khovanov-Rozansky gl(N) link homology to define invariants of oriented smooth 4-manifolds, as skein modules constructed from certain 4-categories with well-behaved duals. The technical heart of this construction is a proof of the sweep-around property, which makes these link homologies well defined in the 3-sphere.
We use categorical annular evaluation to give a uniform construction of both $\mathfrak{sl}_n$ and HOMFLYPT Khovanov-Rozansky link homology, as well as annular versions of these theories. Variations on our construction yield $\mathfrak{gl}_{-n}$ link homology, i.e. a link homology theory associated to the Lie superalgebra $\mathfrak{gl}_{0|n}$, both for links in $S^3$ and in the thickened annulus. In the $n=2$ case, this produces a categorification of the Jones polynomial that we show is distinct from Khovanov homology, and gives a finite-dimensional categorification of the colored Jones polyn…
We show that we can release the rigidity of the skew Howe duality process for ${\mathfrak sl}_n$ knot invariants by rescaling the quantum Weyl group action, and recover skein modules for web-tangles. This skew Howe duality phenomenon can be extended to the affine ${\mathfrak sl}_m$ case, corresponding to looking at tangles embedded in a solid torus. We investigate the relations between the invariants constructed by evaluation representations (and affinization of them) and usual skein modules, and give tools for interpretations of annular skein modules as sub-algebras of intertwiners for partic…
We show that Khovanov homology (and its sl(3) variant) can be understood in the context of higher representation theory. Specifically, we show that the combinatorially defined foam constructions of these theories arise as a family of 2-representations of categorified quantum sl(m) via categorical skew Howe duality. Utilizing Cautis-Rozansky categorified clasps we also obtain a unified construction of foam-based categorifications of Jones-Wenzl projectors and their sl(3) analogs purely from the higher representation theory of categorified quantum groups. In the sl(2) case, this work reveals the…
We provide a finite dimensional categorification of the symmetric evaluation of $\mathfrak{sl}_N$-webs using foam technology. As an output we obtain a symmetric link homology theory categorifying the link invariant associated to symmetric powers of the standard representation of $\mathfrak{sl}_N$. In addition, the construction is actually made in an equivariant setting. We prove also that there is a spectral sequence from the Khovanov-Rozansky triply graded link homology to the symmetric one and provide along the way a foam interpretation of Soergel bimodules.
A cuspidal system for an affine Khovanov-Lauda-Rouquier algerba $R_\al$ yields a theory of standard modules. This allows us to classify the irreducible modules over $R_\al$ up to the so-called imaginary modules. We make a conjecture on reductions modulo $p$ of irreducible $R_\al$-modules, which generalizes James Conjecture. We also describe minuscule imaginary modules, laying the groundwork for future study of imaginary Schur-Weyl duality. We introduce colored imaginary tensor spaces and reduce a classification of imaginary modules to one color. We study the characters of cuspidal modules. We …
There is a known connection between the osp(1|2n) polynomial knot invariant $J_K^n$ and the so(2n+1) knot invariant ${}_{so} J_K^n$ studied by Clark in arXiv:1509.03533 and Blumen in arXiv:0901.3232. In the rank one case, the uncolored $U_{q}(osp(1|2))$ link invariant is equal to the $U_{t^{-1}q}(sl_2)$ link invariant where $t^2=-1$. We define a skein relation similar to the Kauffman bracket, and use that to recover an oriented link invariant which coincides with Clark's uncolored osp(1|2)-link invariant. This definition also comes from the representation theory of $U_{q,π}(sl_2)$, but using d…
We construct the Heisenberg counterpart of a Clifford categorification. It is a modification of Khovanov's Heisenberg categorification. We express generators of the Heisenberg category as a complex of generators of the Clifford category. Certain vertex operators associated to the Clifford algebra are lifted to endofunctors of the Fock space categorification.
This thesis splits into two major parts. The connection between the two parts is the notion of "categorification" which we shortly explain/recall in the introduction. In the first part of this thesis we extend Bar-Natan's cobordism based categorification of the Jones polynomial to virtual links. Our topological complex allows a direct extension of the classical Khovanov complex (h=t=0), the variant of Lee (h=0,t=1) and other classical link homologies. We show that our construction allows, over rings of characteristic 2, extensions with no classical analogon, e.g. Bar-Natan's Z/2Z-link homology…
We introduce a multi-parameter deformation of the triply-graded Khovanov--Rozansky homology of links colored by one-column Young diagrams, generalizing the "$y$-ified" link homology of Gorsky--Hogancamp and work of Cautis--Lauda--Sussan. For each link component, the natural set of deformation parameters corresponds to interpolation coordinates on the Hilbert scheme of the plane. We extend our deformed link homology theory to braids by introducing a monoidal dg 2-category of curved complexes of type $A$ singular Soergel bimodules. Using this framework, we promote to the curved setting the categ…
This is a follow-up to the paper in which we categorified the affine quantum Schur algebra S(n,r) for 2 < r < n, using a quotient of Khovanov and Lauda's categorification of the affine quantum sl_n. In this paper we categorify S(n,n) for n > 2, using an extension of the aforementioned quotient.
