Quantum affine algebras (Q1180519)

The authors classify the finite-dimensional irreducible representations of the quantum affine algebra \(U_ q(\hat sl_ 2)\) in terms of highest weights. They also give an explicit construction of all such representations by means of an evaluation homomorphism \(U_ q(\hat sl_ 2)\to U_ q(sl_ 2)\). This is used to compute the trigonometric \(R\)- matrices associated to finite-dimensional representations of \(U_ q(\hat sl_ 2)\).