Computing cobordism maps in link Floer homology and the reduced Khovanov TQFT (Q1744788)

This paper concerns the computation of the maps induced on \(\widehat{HFK}\) by decorated link cobordisms. This is done in the sutured Floer homology setting [\textit{A. Juhász}, Adv. Math. 299, 940--1038 (2016; Zbl 1358.57021)]. Furthermore, the authors prove that the induced (1+1)-dimensional TQFT coincides with the one given by the reduced Khovanov homology. This is done by explicitly computing the maps induced by specific elementary cobordisms, and the shift in the Maslov and Alexander bi-degree. Finally, they derive the existence of a spectral sequence starting from the reduced Khovanov homology of a marked link diagram, and prove its invariance (see also for a general framework [\textit{J. Baldwin} et al., ``On the functoriality of Khovanov-Floer theories'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1509.04691}]). Their construction provides a new and interesting connection between these two knot homologies, which ultimately might help to shed light on a conjecture by Rasmussen [\textit{J. Rasmussen}, in: Geometry and topology of manifolds. Papers from the conference held at McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, USA, May 14--18, 2004. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS). 261--280 (2005; Zbl 1095.57016)].