In this paper we present two new bases, $B^{\prime}_{H_2}$ and $\mathcal{B}_{H_2}$, for the Kauffman bracket skein module of the handlebody of genus 2 $H_2$, KBSM($H_2$). We start from the well-known Przytycki-basis of KBSM($H_2$), $B_{H_2}$, and using the technique of parting we present elements in $B_{H_2}$ in open braid form. We define an ordering relation on an augmented set $L$ consisting of monomials of all different "loopings" in $H_2$, that contains the sets $B_{H_2}$, $B^{\prime}_{H_2}$ and $\mathcal{B}_{H_2}$ as proper subsets. Using the Kauffman bracket skein relation we relate $B_{H_2}$ to the sets $B^{\prime}_{H_2}$ and $\mathcal{B}_{H_2}$ via a lower triangular infinite matrix with invertible elements in the diagonal. The basis $B^{\prime}_{H_2}$ is an intermediate step in order to reach at elements in $\mathcal{B}_{H_2}$ that have no crossings on the level of braids, and in that sense, $\mathcal{B}_{H_2}$ is a more natural basis of KBSM($H_2$). Moreover, this basis is appropriate in order to compute Kauffman bracket skein modules of c.c.o. 3-manifolds $M$ that are obtained from $H_2$ by surgery, since isotopy moves in $M$ are naturally described by elements in $\mathcal{B}_{H_2}$.
We give an explicit formula for the action of the Dehn twist along a simple closed curve in a compact connected oriented surface on the completion of the filtered skein modules. To do this, we introduce filtrations of the Kauffman bracket skein algebra and the Kauffman bracket skein modules on the surface.
We determine the action of the Kauffman bracket skein algebra of the torus on the Kauffman bracket skein module of the complement of the 3-twist knot. The point is to study the relationship between knot complements and their boundary tori, an idea that has proved very fruitful in knot theory. We place this idea in the context of Chern-Simons theory, where such actions arose in connection with the computation of the noncommutative version of the A-polynomial that was defined by Frohman, Gelca and Lofaro, but they can also be interpreted as quantum mechanical systems. Our goal is to exhibit a de…
This paper resolves the problem of comparing the skein modules defined using the skein relations discovered by R. Kirby and P. Melvin that underlie the Reshetikhin-Turaev model for $SU(2)$ Chern-Simons theory to the Kauffman bracket skein modules. Several applications and examples are presented.
We show that the Kauffman bracket skein modules of certain manifolds obtained from integral surgery on a (2,2b) torus link are finitely generated, and list the generators for select examples.
We prove that the Kauffman bracket skein algebra of a cylinder over a surface with boundary, defined over complex numbers, is isomorphic to the observables of an appropriate lattice gauge field theory.
We reprove and expand results of Bonahon and Wong on central elements of the Kauffman bracket skein modules at root of 1 and on the existence of the Chebyshev homomorphism, using elementary skein methods.
We introduce an embedding of the Torelli group of a compact connected oriented surface with non-empty connected boundary into the completed Kauffman bracket skein algebra of the surface, which gives a new construction of the first Johnson homomorphism.
In this paper we disprove a twenty-two year old theorem about the structure of the Kauffman bracket skein module of the connected sum of two handlebodies. We achieve this by analysing handle slidings on compressing discs in a handlebody. We find more relations than previously predicted for the Kauffman bracket skein module of the connected sum of handlebodies, when one of them is not a solid torus. Additionally, we speculate on the structure of the Kauffman bracket skein module of the connected sum of two solid tori.
In this paper we give an alternative basis, $\mathcal{B}_{\rm ST}$, for the Kauffman bracket skein module of the solid torus, ${\rm KBSM}\left({\rm ST}\right)$. The basis $\mathcal{B}_{\rm ST}$ is obtained with the use of the Tempereley--Lieb algebra of type B and it is appropriate for computing the Kauffman bracket skein module of the lens spaces $L(p, q)$ via braids.
We study spanning sets for the Kauffman bracket skein module $\mathcal{S}(M,\mathbb{Q}(A))$ of orientable Seifert fibered spaces with orientable base and non-empty boundary. As a consequence, we show that the KBSM of such manifolds is a finitely generated $\mathcal{S}(\partial M, \mathbb{Q}(A))$-module.
For A a primitive 2N-root of unity with N odd, the Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev topological quantum field theory provides a representation of the Kauffman skein algebra of a closed surface. We show that this representation is irreducible and we compute its classical shadow, in the sense of earlier work of the authors (arXiv:1206.1638).
Using the colored Kauffman skein relation, we study the highest and lowest $4n$ coefficients of the $n^{th}$ unreduced colored Jones polynomial of alternating links. This gives a natural extension of a result by Kauffman in regard with the Jones polynomial of alternating links and its highest and lowest coefficients. We also use our techniques to give a new and natural proof for the existence of the tail of the colored Jones polynomial for alternating links.
We give an explicit basis $\mathcal{B}$ of the quotient of the Kauffman bracket skein algebra $\mathcal{S} (Σ)$ on a surface $Σ$ by the square of an augmentation ideal. As an application, it induces two kinds of finite type invariants of links in a handle body in the sense of Le. Moreover, we construct an embedding of the mapping class group of a compact connected surface of genus $0$ into the Kauffman bracket skein algebra on the surface completed with respect to a filtration coming from the augmentation ideal.
These lecture notes concern the algebraic geometry of the character variety of a finitely generated group in SL(2,C) from the point of view of skein modules. We focus on the case of surface and 3-manifolds groups and construct the Reidemeister torsion as a rational volume form on the character variety.
Diagrams and Reidemeister moves for links in a twisted S^1-bundle over an unorientable surface are introduced. Using these diagrams, we compute the Kauffman Bracket Skein Module (KBSM) of the connected sum of two projective spaces. In particular, we show that it has torsion. We also present a new computation of the KBSM of S^1 x S^2 and the lens spaces L(p,1).
For a 3-manifold $M$ with boundary, we study the Kauffman module with indeterminate equal to $-1+ε$ where $ε^2=0$. We conjecture an explicit relation between this module and the Reidemeister torsion of $M$ which we prove in particular cases. As a maybe useful tool, we then introduce a notion of twisted self-linking and prove that it satisfies the Kauffman relations at first order. These questions come from considerations on asymptotics of quantum invariants.
Skein modules are the main objects of an algebraic topology based on knots (or position). In the same spirit as Leibniz we would call our approach "algebra situs." When looking at the panorama of skein modules we see, past the rolling hills of homologies and homotopies, distant mountains - the Kauffman bracket skein module, and farther off in the distance skein modules based on other quantum invariants. We concentrate here on the basic properties of the Kauffman bracket skein module; properties fundamental in further development of the theory. In particular we consider the relative Kauffman br…
This is the third article in the series begun with [BonWon3, BonWon4], devoted to finite-dimensional representations of the Kauffman bracket skein algebra of an oriented surface $S$. In [BonWon3] we associated a classical shadow to an irreducible representation $ρ$ of the skein algebra, which is a character $r_ρ\in \mathcal R_{\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb C)}(S)$ represented by a group homomorphism $π_1(S) \to \mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb C)$. The main result of the current article is that, when the surface $S$ is closed, every character $r\in \mathcal R_{\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb C)}(S)$ occurs as the classica…
Carrega has shown that the Kauffman bracket skein module of the 3-torus over the field of rational functions in the variable A can be generated by 9 skein elements. We show this set of generators is linearly independent.
We construct an invariant $z (M) =1+a_1(A^4-1)+ a_2(A^4-1)^2+a_3(A^4-1)^3 + \cdots \in \mathbb{Q} [[A^4-1]]= \mathbb{Q} [[A+1]]$ for an integral homology $3$-sphere $M$ using a completed skein algebra and a Heegaard splitting. The invariant $z(M)\mathrm{mod} ((A+1)^{n+1}) $ is a finite type invariant of order $n$. In particular, $-a_1/6$ equals the Casson invariant. If $M$ is the Poincaré homology 3-sphere, $(z(M))_{|A^4 =q} \mod (q+1)^{14} $ is the Ohtsuki series for $M$.
A Kauffman bracket on a surface is an invariant for framed links in the thickened surface, satisfying the Kauffman skein relation and multiplicative under superposition. This includes representations of the skein algebra of the surface. We show how an irreducible representation of the skein algebra usually specifies a point of the character variety of homomorphisms from the fundamental group of the surface to PSL_2(C), as well as certain weights associated to the punctures of the surface. Conversely, we sketch a proof of the fact that each point of the character variety, endowed with appropria…
Khovanov homology, an invariant of links in $\mathbb{R}^3$, is a graded homology theory that categorifies the Jones polynomial in the sense that the graded Euler characteristic of the homology is the Jones polynomial. Asaeda, Przytycki and Sikora generalized this construction by defining a double graded homology theory that categorifies the Kauffman bracket skein module of links in $I$-bundles over surfaces, except for the surface $\mathbb{R}P^2$, where the construction fails due to strange behaviour of links when projected to the non-orientable surface $\mathbb{R}P^2$. This paper categorifies…
We show that for the Kauffman bracket skein module over the field of rational functions in variable A, the module of a connected sum of 3-manifolds is the tensor product of modules of the individual manifolds.
We study finite-dimensional representations of the Kauffman skein algebra of a surface S. In particular, we construct invariants of such irreducible representations when the underlying parameter q is a root of unity. The main one of these invariants is a point in the character variety consisting of group homomorphisms from the fundamental group of S to SL_2(C), or in a twisted version of this character variety. The proof relies on certain miraculous cancellations that occur for the quantum trace homomorphism constructed by the authors. These miraculous cancellations also play a fundamental rol…
We generalize Kauffman's famous formula defining the Jones polynomial of an oriented link in 3-space from his bracket and the writhe of an oriented diagram. Our generalization is an epimorphism between skein modules of tangles in compact connected oriented 3-manifolds with markings in the boundary. Besides the usual Jones polynomial of oriented tangles we will consider graded quotients of the bracket skein module and Przytycki's q-analogue of the first homology group of a 3-manifold. In certain cases, for example for links in submanifolds of rational homology 3-spheres, we will be able to defi…
We use recoupling theory to study the Kauffman bracket skein module of the quaternionic manifold over Z[A,A^{-1}] localized by inverting all the cyclotomic polynomials. We prove that the skein module is spanned by five elements. Using the quantum invariants of these skein elements and the Z_2 homology of the manifold, we determine that they are linearly independent.
In earlier work, we constructed invariants of irreducible representations of the Kauffman skein algebra of a surface. We introduce here an inverse construction, which to a set of possible invariants associates an irreducible representation that realizes these invariants. The current article is restricted to surfaces with at least one puncture, a condition that will be lifted in subsequent work of the authors that relies on this one. A step in the proof is of independent interest, and describes the algebraic structure of the Thurston intersection form on the space of integer weight systems for …
Let k be a subring of the field of rational functions in α, s which contains α^{1}, α^{-1}, s^{1}, s^{-1}, . Let M be a compact oriented 3-manifold, and let K(M) denote the Kauffman skein module of M over k. Then K(M) is the free k-module generated by isotopy classes of framed links in M modulo the Kauffman skein relations. In the case of k={Q}(α, s), the field of rational functions in α, s, we give a basis for the Kauffman skein module of the solid torus and a basis for the relative Kauffman skein module of the solid torus with two points on the boundary. We then show that K(S^{1} \times S^2)…
Let k be an integral domain containing the invertible elements α, s and \frac{1}{s-s^{-1}}. If M is an oriented 3-manifold, let K(M) denote the Kauffman skein module of M over k. Based on the work on Birman-Murakami-Wenzl algebra by Beliakova and Blanchet, we give an ``idempotent-like'' basis for the Kauffman skein module of handlebodies. Gilmer and Zhong have studied the Homflypt skein modules of a connected sum of two 3-manifolds, here we study the case for the Kauffman skein module and show that K(M_1 # M_2) is isomorphic to K(M_1) tensor K(M_2) over a certain localized ring, where M_1 # M_…
The Kauffman bracket skein module $S(M)$ of a 3-manifold $M$ is a $\mathbb{Q}(A)$-vector space spanned by links in $M$ modulo the so-called Kauffman relations. In this article, for any closed oriented surface $Σ$ we provide an explicit spanning family for the skein modules $S(Σ\times S^1)$. Combined with earlier work of Gilmer and Masbaum, we answer their question about the dimension of $S(Σ\times S^1)$ being $2^{2g+1} + 2g -1$.
For each closed, orientable surface F, we construct a local, diffeomorphism invariant trace on the Kauffman bracket skein module K_t(F x [0,1]). The trace is defined when |t| is neither 0 nor 1, and at certain roots of unity. At t = - 1, the trace is integration against the symplectic measure on the SU(2) character variety of the fundamental group of F.
We show that the action of the Kauffman bracket skein algebra of a surface $Σ$ on the skein module of the handlebody bounded by $Σ$ is faithful if and only if the quantum parameter is not a root of 1.
We calculate the Kauffman bracket skein module (KBSM) of the complement of all two-bridge links. For a two-bridge link, we show that the KBSM of its complement is free over the ring $\BC[t^{\pm 1}]$ and when reducing $t=-1$, it is isomorphic to the ring of regular functions on the character variety of the link group.
This paper is focused on the structure of the Kauffman bracket skein algebra of a punctured surface at roots of unity. A criterion that determines when a collection of skeins forms a basis of the skein algebra as an extension over the $SL(2,{\mathbb C})$ characters of the fundamental group of the surface, with appropriate localization is given. This is used to prove that when the algebra is localized so that every nonzero element of the center has a multiplicative inverse, that it is a division algebra. Finally, it is proved that the localized skein algebra can be split over its center as a te…
This paper resolves the unicity conjecture of Bonahon and Wong for the Kauffman bracket skein algebras of all oriented finite type surfaces at all roots of unity. The proof is a consequence of a general unicity theorem that says that the irreducible representations of a prime affine $k$-algebra over an algebraically closed field $k$, that is finitely generated as a module over its center, are generically classified by their central characters. The center of the Kauffman bracket skein algebra of any orientable surface at any root of unity is characterized, and it is proved that the skein algebr…
Let $F$ be a finite type surface and $ζ$ a complex root of unity. The Kauffman bracket skein algebra $K_ζ(F)$ is an important object in both classical and quantum topology as it has relations to the character variety, the Teichmüller space, the Jones polynomial, and the Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev Topological Quantum Field Theories. We compute the rank and trace of $K_ζ(F)$ over its center, and we extend a theorem of Frohman and Kania-Bartoszynska which says the skein algebra has a splitting coming from two pants decompositions of $F$.
We compute the Kauffman bracket skein module of the complement of a twist knot, finding that it is free and infinite dimensional. The basis consists of cables of a two-component link, one component of which is a meridian of the knot. The cabling of the meridian can be arbitrarily large while the cabling of the other component is limited to the number of twists.
In this paper the properties of the Kauffman bracket skein module of $L(p,q)$ are investigated. Links in lens spaces are represented both through band and disk diagrams. The possibility to transform between the diagrams enables us to compute the Kauffman bracket skein module on an interesting class of examples consisting of inequivalent links with equivalent lifts in the $3$-sphere. The computation show that the Kauffman bracket skein module is an essential invariant, that is, it may take different values on links with equivalent lifts. We also show how the invariant is related to the Kauffman…
Following the recent work by Chan, and by Morton and Hadji on the Homflypt polynomials of some generalized Hopf links, we investigate the Kauffman polynomials of generalized Hopf links. By studying the Kauffman skein module of the solid torus S^1\times D^2, we establish a similar skein map on the Kauffman skein module of S^1\times D^2 which has distinct eigenvalues. Furthermore we are able to calculate the Kauffman polynomials of some specific generalized Hopf links.
The Kauffman bracket skein module $K(M)$ of a $3$-manifold $M$ is the quotient of the $\mathbb{Q}(A)$-vector space spanned by isotopy classes of links in $M$ by the Kauffman relations. A conjecture of Witten states that if $M$ is closed then $K(M)$ is finite dimensional. We introduce a version of this conjecture for manifolds with boundary and prove a stability property for generic Dehn-filling of knots. As a result we provide the first hyperbolic examples of the conjecture, proving that almost all Dehn-fillings of any two-bridge knot satisfies the conjecture.
We show that the Kauffman bracket skein module of a cylinder over the torus embeds as a subalgebra of the noncommutative torus. Using this we derive nice formulas for the Jones-Wenzl idempotents and analyze the structure of the Kauffman bracket skein module of the unknot as a module over the Kauffman bracket skein module of a cylinder over the torus.
We study the structure of the Kauffman algebra of a surface with parameter equal to sqrt(-1). We obtain an interpretation of this algebra as an algebra of parallel transport operators acting on sections of a line bundle over the moduli space of flat connections in a trivial SU(2)-bundle over the surface. We analyse the asymptotics of traces of curve-operators in TQFT in non standard regimes where the root of unity parametrizing the TQFT accumulates to a root of unity. We interpret the case of sqrt(-1) in terms of parallel transport operators.
In this paper we study the skein algebras of marked surfaces and the skein modules of marked 3-manifolds. Muller showed that skein algebras of totally marked surfaces may be embedded in easy to study algebras known as quantum tori. We first extend Muller's result to permit marked surfaces with unmarked boundary components. The addition of unmarked components allows us to develop a surgery theory which enables us to extend the Chebyshev homomorphism of Bonahon and Wong between skein algebras of unmarked surfaces to a "Chebyshev-Frobenius homomorphism" between skein modules of marked 3-manifolds…
Based on the presentation of the Kauffman bracket skein module of the torus given by the third author in previous work, Charles D. Frohman and Răzvan Gelca established a complete description of the multiplicative operation leading to a famous product-to-sum formula. In this paper, we study the multiplicative structure of the Kauffman bracket skein algebra of the thickened four-holed sphere. We present an algorithm to compute the product of any two elements of the algebra, and give an explicit formula for some families of curves. We surmise that the algorithm has quasi-polynomial growth with re…
