Grid diagrams and Khovanov homology (Q2389451)

The Seidel--Smith link invariant [\textit{P. Seidel} and \textit{I. Smith}, Duke Math. J. 134, No.~3, 453--514 (2006; Zbl 1108.57011)] is the homology of a certain chain complex defined using symplectic geometry. Seidel and Smith conjectured that their homology is isomorphic to the Khovanov link homology, where the homological grading of the Seidel-Smith chain complex corresponds to the difference between the Khovanov homological grading and the quantum grading. \textit{C. Manolescu} [Duke Math. J. 132, No.~2, 311--369 (2006; Zbl 1110.57010)] showed that the generators of the Seidel--Smith chain complex are in one-to-one correspondence with the generators in \textit{S. Bigelow}'s construction of the Jones polynomial [Geom. Topol. Monogr. 4, 29--41 (2002; Zbl 1035.57004)]. In the paper under review, the authors introduce a differential \(\delta\) on the graded free abelian group \(B\) generated by Bigelow's generators arising from a grid diagram for a link. This diffential respects Bigelow's Jones grading, and increases the homological grading of Seidel and Smith by \(1\). Moreover, the homology of the chain complex \((B,\delta)\) is isomorphic to the Khovanov homology.