Asymptotics of the Hilbert-Schmidt norm of curve operators in TQFT (Q2380514)

This paper concerns semiclassical asymptotics of Reshetikhin-Turaev quantum \(SU(n)\) hermitian TQFT's \(\left(\mathcal{Z}^{(k)},\langle-,-\rangle\right)\). Let \(\Sigma\) be a closed oriented surface, let \(\gamma\) be an oriented \(1\)-dimensional submanifold of \(\Sigma\), and let \(\lambda\) be a labeling of components of \(\gamma\) by elements of a certain set \(\Lambda_k\) which is related to the representation theory of \(SU(n)\). One has a curve operator \(\mathcal{Z}^{(k)}(\gamma,\lambda)\in\mathrm{End}(\mathcal{Z}^{(k)}(\Sigma))\). For curve operators there is a Hilbert-Schmidt norm \[ \left\langle\mathcal{Z}^{(k)}(\gamma_1,\lambda_1),\mathcal{Z}^{(k)}(\gamma_2,\lambda_2)\right\rangle=\text{Tr}\left(\mathcal{Z}^{(k)}(\gamma_1,\lambda_1)\mathcal{Z}^{(k)}(\gamma_2,\lambda_2)^\ast\right). \] Using the theory of Toeplitz operators, and relying heavily on a deep approximation result from [\textit{J. E. Andersen}, Asymptotics in Teichmüller space of the Hitchin connection (2009; in preparation)], the present paper relates the \(k\to\infty\) asymptotics of \(\left\langle\mathcal{Z}^{(k)}(\gamma_1,\lambda_1),\mathcal{Z}^{(k)}(\gamma_2,\lambda_2)\right\rangle\) with a classical \(L_2\) inner product of holonomy functions on the \(SU(n)\) moduli space. In the \(n=2\) case this recovers a result of \textit{J. Marché} and \textit{M. Narimannejad} [Duke Math. J. 141, No.~3, 573--587 (2008; Zbl 1139.57030)] which they proved in an entirely different way using skein theory. A corollary of their results was a new proof of the asymptotic faithfulness of quantum representations [\textit{J.E. Andersen}, Ann. Math. (2) 163, No.~1, 347--368 (2006; Zbl 1157.53049)].