Faithfullness of geometric action of skein algebras (Q2126126)

Let \(\Sigma\) be a closed surface bounding a handlebody \(H\). The Kauffman bracket skein algebra \(\mathscr{S}(\Sigma)\) of the surface \(\Sigma = \partial H\) acts on the skein module \(\mathscr{S}(H)\) of \(H\). In this paper it is shown that this action is faithful if and only if the quantum parameter \(q\) is not a root of unity. When \(q\) is not a root of unity, the proof of the faithfulness uses explicit calculations made with the help of a choice of Dehn-Thurston coordinates on the surface \(\Sigma\). When \(q\) is a root of unity, an explicit non-zero element of \(\mathscr{S}(\Sigma)\) with trivial action on \(\mathscr{S}(H)\) is given. Note that the result holds whenever the ground ring \(\mathcal{R}\) is a commutative domain with unit and distinguished invertible element \(q\). The result has been recovered in [\textit{R. Detcherry} and \textit{R. Santharoubane}, ``An embedding of skein algebras of surfaces into quantum tori from Dehn-Thurston coordinates'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:2205.03291}].