On symplectic quandles (Q1001966)

Quandles are non-associative algebraic structures whose axioms may be understood as transcriptions of the Reidemeister moves. A typical example is a group with quandle product \(*\) given by conjugation, i.e., \(x*y =y^{-1}xy\). This paper is about symplectic quandles. These quandles are also modules equipped with an antisymmetric bilinear form; they were already considered in [\textit{D. N. Yetter}, J. Knot Theory Ramifications 12, No. 4, 523--541 (2003; Zbl 1051.57003)]. The main result of the paper under review shows that every symplectic quandle over a field (of characteristic other than two if it is not finite) is almost connected, that is, it is a disjoint union of a trivial quandle and a connected quandle. Indeed, connected quandles are of particular interest for defining knot invariants since knot quandles are always connected. The paper ends introducing a new family of enhanced quandle counting invariants, based on finite symplectic quandles.