Rewriting modulo isotopies in pivotal linear \((2,2)\)-categories (Q2122211)

The paper is devoted to linear rewriting systems modulo a set of algebraic axioms. The structure of linear \((3,2)\)-polygraph modulo as a presentation of a linear \((2,2)\)-category by a rewriting system modulo algebrais axioms is proposed. A symbolic calculation method for calculating linear bases for vector spaces of \(2\)-cells of these categories is introduced. The case of central \(2\)-categories is studied, using as axioms modulo the isotopic relations given by the biaddition of \(1\)-cells and the conditions for cyclicity of \(2\)-cells. Using this constructive method, the authors of the article restore the bases of normally ordered point oriented Brauer diagrams in the affinely oriented linear \((2, 2)\)-Brauer category. For a given algebra presented by generators and relations, the question often arises of proving the non-degeneracy of the presentation, which consists in finding a linear basis for this algebra. Recent developments in the theory of higher categories extend the question of non-degeneracy to the case of higher-dimensional linear categories in order to compute linear bases for each space of morphisms of these categories. To solve this problem, several tools based on rewriting theory [\textit{G. M. Bergman}, The diamond lemma for ring theory. Adv. Math. 29, 178--218 (1978; Zbl 0326.16019); \textit{Y. Guiraud} et al., Math. Z. 293, No. 1--2, 113--179 (2019; Zbl 1423.16008)] have been developed and extended to the case of monoidal categories [\textit{E. Ben}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 375, No. 3, 1883--1915 (2022; Zbl 1497.20044)] and higher-dimensional linear categories [\textit{C. Alleaume}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 222, No. 3, 636--673 (2018; Zbl 1390.18014)]. From the text: ``The main objective of this paper is to present a symbolic computation method to compute linear bases for the morphism spaces of linear \((2, 2)\)-categories using rewriting methods. In particular, we extend the usual rewriting methods based on convergent presentations used in [\textit{E. Ben}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 375, No. 3, 1883--1915 (2022; Zbl 1497.20044)] and [\textit{C. Alleaume}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 222, No. 3, 636--673 (2018; Zbl 1390.18014)] by allowing the structural isotopy relations to be non-oriented. To do so, we use rewriting modulo the isotopy axioms of the pivotal structure, which is helpful to facilitate the analysis of confluence of pivotal presentations, and we show that one can compute linear bases for spaces of \(2\)-cells of such categories using appropriate notions of termination and confluence modulo. Many examples of such categories arising in higher representation theory admit a pivotal structure, such as the category of \(\mathfrak{gl}_n\)-webs encoding the representation theory of the Lie algebra \(\mathfrak{gl}_n\) [14,22], the Khovanov-Lauda-Rouquier 2-categorification of a quantum group [\textit{M. Khovanov} and \textit{A. D. Lauda},Quantum Topol. 1, No. 1, 1--92 (2010); erratum ibid. 2, No. 1, 97-99 (2011; Zbl 1206.17015); \textit{R. Rouquier}, ``2-Kac-Moody algebras'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:0812.5023}] and the Heisenberg categories categorifying Heisenberg algebra [\textit{M. Khovanov}, Fundam. Math. 225, 169--210 (2014; Zbl 1304.18019)]. The affine oriented Brauer category mentioned above is another example of a pivotal linear (2, 2)-category, obtained by a free symmetric monoidal category generated by a single object and its dual by adjunction of a polynomial generator subject to appropriate relations. It thus is a pivotal linear (2, 2)-category with only one 0-cell and only one 1-cell. We illustrate the constructions of this paper to prove non-degeneracy of this linear (2, 2)-category, recovering the results of [\textit{J. Brundan} et al., Quantum Topol. 8, No. 1, 75--112 (2017; Zbl 1419.18011)] and [\textit{C. Alleaume}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 222, No. 3, 636--673 (2018; Zbl 1390.18014)] using rewriting modulo methods. We then use these results in [\textit{B. Dupont}, Adv. Math. 378, Article ID 107524, 76 p. (2021; Zbl 1457.18022)] in order to prove non-degeneracy for the Khovanov-Lauda-Rouquier's 2-categorification of a quantum group associated with a symmetrizable Kac-Moody algebras, and in a further work in order to study 2-supercategories, with the proof of non-degeneracy for the odd-categorification of the quantum group associated with \(\mathfrak{sl}_2\), see [\textit{B. Dupont} et al., ``Super rewriting theory and nondegeneracy of odd categorified \(\mathfrak{sl}_2\)'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:2102.00276}].''