Homological Construction of Quantum Representations of Mapping Class Groups

Publication date 21 December 2022

Abstract: We provide a homological model for a family of quantum representations of mapping class groups arising from non-semisimple TQFTs (Topological Quantum Field Theories). Our approach gives a new geometric point of view on these representations, and it gathers into one theory two of the most promising constructions for investigating linearity of mapping class groups. More precisely, if

v a r S i g m a_{g, 1}

is a surface of genus

g

with

1

boundary component, we consider a (crossed) action of its mapping class group

m a t h r m M o d (v a r S i g m a_{g, 1})

on the homology of its configuration space

m a t h r m {C o n f}_{n} (v a r S i g m a_{g, 1})

with twisted coefficients in the Heisenberg quotient

m a t h b b H_{g}

of its surface braid group

p i_{1} (m a t h r m {C o n f}_{n} (v a r S i g m a_{g, 1}))

. We show that this action intertwines an action of the quantum group of

m a t h f r a k {s l}_{2}

, that we define by purely homological means. For a finite-dimensional linear representation of

m a t h b b H_{g}

(depending on a root of unity

z e t a

), we tweak the construction to obtain a projective representation of

m a t h r m M o d (v a r S i g m a_{g, 1})

. Finally, we identify, by an explicit isomorphism, a subrepresentation of

m a t h r m M o d (v a r S i g m a_{g, 1})

that is equivalent to the quantum representation arising from the non-semisimple TQFT associated with quantum

m a t h f r a k {s l}_{2}

at

z e t a

. In the process, we provide concrete bases and explicit formulas for the actions of all the standard generators of

m a t h r m M o d (v a r S i g m a_{g, 1})

and of quantum

m a t h f r a k {s l}_{2}

on both sides of the equivalence, and answer a question by Crivelli, Felder, and Wieczerkowski. We also make sure that the restriction of these representations to the Torelli group

m a t h c a l I (v a r S i g m a_{g, 1})

are integral, in the sense that the actions have coefficients in the ring of cyclotomic integers

m a t h b b Z [z e t a]

, when expressed in these bases.

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