Cell 2-representations and categorification at prime roots of unity (Q2288083)

If $q$ is a root of unity, then the quantum group $U_{q}( \mathfrak{g})$ associated to a finite-dimensional Lie algebra has a finite-dimensional quotient $\mathfrak{u}_{q}( \mathfrak{g})$ which has been used to construct invariants of $3$-dimensional manifolds forming a $3$-dimensional topological field theory, as was discussed in [\textit{N. Yu. Reshetikhin} and \textit{V. G. Turaev}, Commun. Math. Phys. 127, No. 1, 1--26 (1990; Zbl 0768.57003)]. These invariants have been linked to the Jones polynomials by \textit{E. Witten} [Adv. Ser. Math. Phys. 9, 239--329 (1989; Zbl 0726.57010); ibid. 17, 361--451 (1994; Zbl 0818.57014)]. \textit{L. Crane} and \textit{I. B. Frenkel} [J. Math. Phys. 35, No. 10, 5136--5154 (1994; Zbl 0892.57014)] suggested to replace such Hopf algebras as $\mathfrak{u}_{q}(\mathfrak{g})$ by categories in the pursuit of constructing $4$-dimensional topological quantum field theories (TQFT) by algebraic means. A categorification of quantum groups at roots of unity is needed in order to make $4$-dimensional TQFT a reality. An important idea was introduced in [\textit{M. Khovanov}, J. Knot Theory Ramifications 25, No. 3, Article ID 1640006, 26 p. (2016; Zbl 1370.18017)] by observing that working algebra objects in the category of modules over a finite-dimensional Hopf algebra $H$ gives a way of categorifying algebras over the Grothendieck ring of the stable category of $H$-modules. Khovanov's idea was subsequently further developed in [\textit{Y. Qi}, Compos. Math. 150, No. 1, 1--45 (2014; Zbl 1343.16010)], where $p$-dg algebras and their modules are formally introduced in analogy to the theory of dg modules over dg algebras generalizing complexes of modules over an algebra. It was in [\textit{M. Khovanov} and \textit{Y. Qi}, Quantum Topol. 6, No. 2, 185--311 (2015; Zbl 1352.81038)] and [\textit{B. Elias} and \textit{Y. Qi}, Adv. Math. 288, 81--151 (2016; Zbl 1329.81238); ibid. 299, 863--930 (2016; Zbl 1355.81096)] that milestones in realizing the program of categorifying quantum groups at roots of unity were established. The principal objective in this paper consisting of seven sections is to study $p$-dg enriched $2$-categories and to introduce cell $2$-representations for a class of such structures obeying finiteness conditions. The authors investigate their basic properties and relation to additive cell $2$-representations. Structural results about passing to stable $2$-representations which are compatible with the triangulated structure of the stable $2$-categories are presented. Now is a brief synopsis in order. \S 2 introduces all technical results on the level of $1$-categories enriched with $p$-differentials, and investigates their compact semi-free modules, which are the suitable analogue of free modules in this context. \S 3 gathers preliminary results about the kind of $p$-dg $2$-categories. Their $p$-dg $2$-representations are studied in \S 4. \S 5 and \S 6 are the core of the paper. \S 5 introduces cell $2$-representations for strongly finitary $p$-dg $2$-categories. In [\textit{V. Mazorchuk} and \textit{V. Miemietz}, Int. Math. Res. Not. 2016, No. 24, 7471--7498 (2016; Zbl 1404.18014)] it was shown that any fiat $2$-category that is simple in a suitable sense is biequivalent to a certain $2$-category $\mathcal{C}_{A}$ constructed from projective bimodules over a finite-dimensional algebra $A$. \S 6 gives the construction of $p$-dg analogues $\mathcal{C}_{\mathcal{A}}$ of such $2$-categories associated to a $p$-dg category $\mathcal{A}$. \S 7 applies some results to the cyclotomic quotient $\mathcal{U}_{\lambda}$ of the $p$-dg $2$-category $\mathcal{U}$ introduced in [loc. cit., Zbl 1329.81238] to categorify the small quantum group associated to $\mathfrak{sl}_{2}$.