Jones-Wenzl idempotents for rank 2 simple Lie algebras (Q2465255)

The Jones polynomial may be viewed as a polynomial invariant of a link whose components are coloured by the two-dimensional vector representation of quantum \(sl(2)\). Generalizing to all irreducible representations and to other rank \(2\) simple Lie algebras, one obtains many new additional quantum invariants [see e.g. \textit{G. Kuperberg}, Commun. Math. Phys. 180, 109--151 (1996; Zbl 0870.17005)]. Jones-Wenzl idempotents are useful tools to calculate values of these invariants, and their counterparts for trivalent graphs and 3-manifolds. The paper under review gives single clasp expansions for Jones-Wenzl idempotents for quantum \(sl(3)\) and \(sp(4)\). These expansions give the values of the Jones-Wenzl idempotents inductively and facilitate explicit computations for \(sl(3)\) and \(sp(4)\) HOMFLYPT polynomials. Further applications given are a criterion for a link (or a trivalent graph) to be \(p\)-periodic in terms of the coloured \(sl(3)\) (or sp(4)) HOMFLYPT polynomial (or its analogue for graphs), and the possibility of calculating explicit formulae for \(3j\) and \(6j\) symbols in quantum \(sl(3)\) theory. With the exception of the section on applications, the paper is from the author's thesis [Graphical calculus on representations of quantum Lie algebras (Thesis, UCDavis, \url{arXiv:math.QA/0310143}) (2003)].