Quantum link homology via trace functor. I (Q1725694)

The paper under review develops a general theory of traces and shadows for endobicategories and also a quantization of this theory for graded linear bicategories. Applying the quantized trace to the bicategory of Chen-Khovanov bimodules results in a new triply graded link homology theory which the authors call the quantum annular link homology. The specialization of the quantum parameter at $1$ reproduces the Asaeda-Przytycki-Sikora homology for links in a thickened annulus, cf. [\textit{M. M. Asaeda} et al., Algebr. Geom. Topol. 4, 1177--1210 (2004; Zbl 1070.57008)]. \par It is shown that the homology defined in this paper carries an action of quantum $\mathfrak{sl}_2$ which intertwines the action of cobordisms. This is applied to produce nontrivial invariants for surfaces knotted in four dimensions.