Chord diagram invariants of tangles and graphs (Q1974811)

In [Adv. Soviet Math. 16, No. 2, 137-150 (1993; Zbl 0839.57006)] \textit{M. Kontsevich} defined an invariant of classical knots taking values in the algebra generated by formal linear combinations of chord diagrams modulo a ``four-term relation''. This article clarifies the combinatorial aspects of this invariant (which in the original work were introduced via a multiple integral) and explains it in terms of functors between categories of tangles and chord diagrams. Let \(R\) be a commutative ring. Let \(\mathcal{T}(R)\) be the category of framed oriented tangles and \(\mathcal{A}(R)\) the category of chord diagrams with residues, both with coefficients in \(R\). Consider in \(\mathcal{T}(R)\) the filtration given by powers of the augmentation ideal (generated by morphisms \(c_{s,s'}-(c_{s',s})^{-1}\)) and in \(\mathcal{A}(R)\) the one given by the number of chords. The main theorem states that if \(R\supset\mathbb{Q}\) then \(\mathcal{T}(R)\) and \(\mathcal{A}(R)\) are isomorphic as filtered categories. The original theorem of Kontsevich is then a particular case taking the endomorphism rings of the object \(\emptyset\). The quantum invariants of framed knots found by \textit{N. Yu. Reshetikhin} and \textit{V. G. Turaev} in [Commun. Math. Phys. 127, No. 1, 1-26 (1990; Zbl 0768.57003)] are explained in terms of these invariants. There are also versions of the main theorem for the categories of tangles and chord diagrams with coupons, and with discs. There are four appendices, including a new proof of a theorem of T. Kohno and an action of the group \(\text{Gal}(\overline{\mathbb{Q}}/\mathbb{Q})\) on knots and links.