Khovanov homology and categorification of skein modules (Q2043518)

Khovanov's categorification of the Jones polynomial [\textit{M. Khovanov}, Duke Math. J. 101, No. 3, 359--426 (2000; Zbl 0960.57005)] associates to any link diagram \(D\) in \(\mathbb{R}^3\) a doubly-graded vector space whose isomorphism class depends on the link represented by \(D\). The goal of the paper under review is to generalize Khovanov's construction to links in more general three-manifolds. The strategy adopted in the paper is to categorify skein modules of three-manifolds. Skein modules, introduced by \textit{J. H. Przytycki} [Bull. Pol. Acad. Sci., Math. 39, No. 1--2, 91--100 (1991; Zbl 0762.57013)] and \textit{V. G. Turaev} [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 24, No. 6, 635--704 (1991; Zbl 0758.57011)], are certain generalizations of the Jones polynomial. In particular, the authors focus on skein modules of thickened surfaces. This particular choice is dictated by the fact that skein modules of closed three-manifolds can be described in terms of skein modules of thickened surfaces via Heegard splittings. The problem of constructing categorified invariants of links in thickened surfaces was studied before by \textit{M. M. Asaeda} et al. [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 4, 1177--1210 (2004; Zbl 1070.57008)], \textit{J. Boerner} [Topology Appl. 156, No. 2, 375--391 (2008; Zbl 1169.57008)], and \textit{V. Turaev} and \textit{P. Turner} [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 6, 1069--1093 (2006; Zbl 1134.57004)]. The main technical tool used in the paper is the technology of \(\mathfrak{gl}_2\)-foams as introduced by \textit{C. Blanchet} [J. Knot Theory Ramifications 19, No. 2, 291--312 (2010; Zbl 1195.57024)]. For a fixed surface \(S\), the authors construct the category of \(\mathfrak{gl}_2\)-foams in \(S \times I\), which serves as a natural target category for the desired link invariant. Once the target category is set up, the link invariant is constructed by forming the cube of resolutions from a link diagram and flattening the cube to a chain complex. The resulting link invariant is functorial with respect to link cobordisms. Furthermore, the authors discuss the relation of their link invariant to the invariant of Asaeda-Przytycki-Sikora and discuss generalizations of the spectral sequence connecting annular Khovanov homology with ordinary Khovanov homology, see [\textit{L. P. Roberts}, Geom. Topol. 17, No. 1, 413--467 (2013; Zbl 1415.57009)]. An important property of skein modules of thickened surfaces is that they are algebras, where the multiplication is induced by stacking copies of the thickened surface. Therefore, it is natural to ask whether the multiplicative structure of skein algebras of surfaces admits a categorification. The authors point out that for the disk or annulus, the multiplicative structure in the respective skein algebra lifts to a monoidal structure on the level of the respective foam category and the respective link invariant. In general, however, foam categories of surfaces are not rigid enough to support the desired monoidal structure. The authors propose a candidate for a target category supporting the desired monoidal structure. The relevance of the categorification of the multiplicative structure of skein algebras stems from its relation to the Conjecture 12.4 in [\textit{V. Fock} and \textit{A. Goncharov}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 103, 1--211 (2006; Zbl 1099.14025)] as reformulated by \textit{D. P. Thurston} (Conjecture 4.20 in [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 111, No. 27, 9725--9732 (2014; Zbl 1355.57015)]). The last section of the paper is concerned with a detailed study of the toric link homology, i.e., the categorified link invariant of links in the thickened torus. In the case of the torus, the respective foam category turns out to be more complicated than its counterparts associated to other surfaces, hence this case requires special treatment. At the end of this section, the authors study some particular cases of the categorified Frohman-Gelca formula, i.e., a formula expressing products of certain distinguished elements in the skein algebra of the torus, see [\textit{C. Frohman} and \textit{R. Gelca}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 352, No. 10, 4877--4888 (2000; Zbl 0951.57007)].