Commutator theory for racks and quandles (Q1996205)

A quandle is an algebraic structure whose axioms are derived from the Reidemeister moves on oriented link diagrams. They were first introduced by Joyce and Matveev as an invariant for knots in \(S^3\). More precisely, to each oriented diagram \(D_K\) of an oriented knot \(K\) in \(S^3\) one can associate the quandle \(Q(K)\), which does not change if we apply the Reidemeister moves to the diagram \(D_K\). Joyce and Matveev proved that two knot quandles \(Q(K_1)\) and \(Q(K_2)\) are isomorphic if and only if there is an ambient isotopy that takes \(K_1\) to \(K_2\) or one that takes \(K_1\) to the mirror image of the orientation reversal of \(K_2\). This fact means that the knot quandle is a very strong invariant for knots in \(S^3\). Since the knot quandle is a very strong invariant, it is logical to assume that this invariant is practically impossible to use. Indeed, in order to understand if two knots are equivalent or not it is necessary to understand if two knot quandles are isomorphic or not, while the isomorphism problem for quandles is known to be as difficult as it gets in the sense of Borel reducibility [\textit{A. D. Brooke-Taylor} and \textit{S. K. Miller}, J. Aust. Math. Soc. 108, No. 2, 262--277 (2020; Zbl 1482.20039)]. Sometimes homomorphisms from knot quandles to simpler quandles provide useful information that helps determine whether two knot quandles are isomorphic. This potential utility leads to the necessity of studying some special classes of quandles which satisfy ``nice'' properties from the algebraic point of view. Turning to group theory for inspiration, convenient families of groups include those satisfying certain finite type conditions: (locally/residually) finite groups, (locally/residually) nilpotent groups, (locally/residually) solvable groups, etc. In the paper under review the authors study properties of being abelian, nilpotent and solvable (in the sense of universal algebra) for racks and quandles. The main results of the paper connect the properties of being abelian, nilpotent and solvable for a quandle \(Q\) to the properties of being abelian, nilpotent and solvable for a displacement group \(\mathrm{Dis}(Q)\) of a quandle \(Q\). The authors prove that a quandle \(Q\) is abelian (resp. nilpotent, solvable) if and only if the group \(\mathrm{Dis}(Q)\) is abelian (resp. nilpotent, solvable) with some tiny additional conditions. As a corollary, the authors transfer some classical results about abelian, nilpotent, and solvable groups to the corresponding quandles. In my opinion, the topic of the article is very logical, and it was long overdue to develop a theory linking the properties of being abelian, nilpotent or solvable for groups and for quandles. I believe that abelian, nilpotent and solvable quandles have the potential to be used in the construction of new knot invariants.