Walks along braids and the colored Jones polynomial

Using the Huynh and Lê quantum determinant description of the colored Jones polynomial, we construct a new combinatorial description of the colored Jones polynomial in terms of walks along a braid. We then use this description to show that for a knot which is the closure of a positive braid, the first N coefficients of the N th colored Jones polynomial are trivial.

Generating Functions for Hecke Algebra Characters

Certain polynomials in n2 variables that serve as generating functions for symmetric group characters are sometimes called (Sn) character immanants. We point out a close connection between the identities of Littlewood–Merris–Watkins and Goulden–Jackson, which relate Sn character immanants to the determinant, the permanent and MacMahon's Master Theorem. From these results we obtain a generalization of Muir's identity. Working with the quantum polynomial ring and the Hecke algebra Hn(q), we define quantum immanants that are generating functions for Hecke algebra characters. We then prove quantum analogs of the Littlewood–Merris–Watkins identities and selected Goulden–Jackson identities that relate Hn(q) character immanants to the quantum determinant, quantum permanent, and quantum Master Theorem of Garoufalidis–Lê–Zeilberger. We also obtain a generalization of Zhang's quantization of Muir's identity.

The dynamicalU(n)quantum group

We study the dynamical analogue of the matrix algebraM(n), constructed from a dynamicalR-matrix given by Etingof and Varchenko. A left and a right corepresentation of this algebra, which can be seen as analogues of the exterior algebra representation, are defined and this defines dynamical quantum minor determinants as the matrix elements of these corepresentations. These elements are studied in more detail, especially the action of the comultiplication and Laplace expansions. Using the Laplace expansions we can prove that the dynamical quantum determinant is almost central, and adjoining an inverse the antipode can be defined. This results in the dynamicalGL(n)quantum group associated to the dynamicalR-matrix. We study a∗-structure leading to the dynamicalU(n)quantum group, and we obtain results for the canonical pairing arising from theR-matrix.

COIDEAL SUBALGEBRAS IN QUANTUM AFFINE ALGEBRAS

We introduce two subalgebras in the type A quantum affine algebra which are coideals with respect to the Hopf algebra structure. In the classical limit q→1 each subalgebra specializes to the enveloping algebra [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is a fixed point subalgebra of the loop algebra [Formula: see text] with respect to a natural involution corresponding to the embedding of the orthogonal or symplectic Lie algebra into [Formula: see text]. We also give an equivalent presentation of these coideal subalgebras in terms of generators and defining relations which have the form of reflection-type equations. We provide evaluation homomorphisms from these algebras to the twisted quantized enveloping algebras introduced earlier by Gavrilik and Klimyk and by Noumi. We also construct an analog of the quantum determinant for each of the algebras and show that its coefficients belong to the center of the algebra. Their images under the evaluation homomorphism provide a family of central elements of the corresponding twisted quantized enveloping algebra.

REPRESENTATIONS OF REFLECTION ALGEBRAS

We study a class of algebras B(n,l) associated with integrable models with boundaries. These algebras can be identified with coideal subalgebras in the Yangian for gl(n). We construct an analog of the quantum determinant and show that its coefficients generate the center of B(n,l). We develop an analog of Drinfeld's highest weight theory for these algebras and give a complete description of their finite-dimensional irreducible representations.