Quantization of Lie bialgebras. IV: The coinvariant construction and the quantum KZ equations (Q1573774)

In part III of the authors' series on quantizations of Lie bialgebras [Sel. Math., New Ser. 4, No. 2, 233--269 (1998; Zbl 0915.17009)], they studied the Hopf algebra \(F(R)_{\mathbf z}\) associated to a quantum \(R\)-matrix \(R(z)\) with spectral parameter defined on a 1-dimensional connected algebraic group \(\Sigma\), and a set of points \({\mathbf z}= (z_1,\dots, z_n)\) in \(\Sigma^n\). This is generated as an algebra by entries of a matrix power series \(T_i(u)\), \(i= 1,\dots, n\), subject to quantum group type commutation relations, and is a quantization of the group \(\text{GL}_N [[t]]^n\). In this paper under review, they consider the quotient \(F_0(R)_{\mathbf z}\) of \(F(R)_{\mathbf z}\) by the relations \(q\det_R (T_i)=1\), where \(q\det_R\) is the quantum determinant associated to \(R\) (for additional, trigonometric, or elliptic \(R\)-matrices). This is also a Hopf algebra which is a quantization of the group \(SL_N [[t]]^n\). They study the representation theory of \(F_0(R)_{\mathbf z}\) and of its quantum double, and show how the coinvariants of this double (quantum conformal blocks) lead to the quantum Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equations of \textit{I. B. Frenkel} and \textit{N. Yu. Reshetikhin} [Commun. Math. Phys. 146, No. 1, 1--60 (1992; Zbl 0760.17006)]. The authors discuss the relation of their work to this paper of Frenkel and Reshetikhin, and also to papers by \textit{B. Enriquez} and \textit{S. Felder} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 1999, No. 2, 81--104 (1999; Zbl 0924.17008); q-alg/9707012] and by \textit{D. Kazhdan} and \textit{Y. Soibelman} [Sel. Math., New Ser. 1, 537--595 (1995; Zbl 0842.17021)]. Their construction for the rational \(R\)-matrix is a quantum analogue of the standard derivation of the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equations in the Wess-Zumino-Witten model of conformal field theory, as described by \textit{A. Tsuchiya, K. Ueno} and \textit{Y. Yamada} [Adv. Stud. Pure Math. 16, 549--566 (1989; Zbl 0696.17010)]. For the elliptic \(R\)-matrix, it is a quantum analogue of the construction of \textit{G. Kuroki} and \textit{T. Takebe} [Commun. Math. Phys. 204, 587--618 (1999; Zbl 1039.32503); q-alg/9612033].