A type \(D\) structure in Khovanov homology (Q261166)

This paper presents the first half of a Khovanov theory for tangles which handles tangle gluing and recovers usual Khovanov homology for closed tangles. Introduced in [\textit{M. Khovanov}, Commun. Algebra 29, No. 11, 5033--5052 (2001; Zbl 1018.16015)], Khovanov homology was the first example of a categorification for a polynomial link invariant, namely a bigraded homological invariant whose graded Euler characteristic is the Jones polynomial. A couple of years later, \textit{P. Ozsváth} and \textit{Z. Szabó} defined in [Ann. Math. (2) 159, No. 3, 1027--1158 (2004; Zbl 1073.57009)] a homological invariant \(\text{HF}\) for 3-manifolds (later refined into a link invariant which categorified the Alexander polynomial). First defined for closed manifolds, it was then developed in [\textit{R. Lipshitz} et al., ``Bordered Heegaard Floer homology: Invariance and pairing'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:0810.0687}] as a ``bordered theory'' for manifolds with boundary. As such, it involved: {\parindent=0.7cm\begin{itemize}\item[--] a graded differential algebra \(\mathcal A(\Sigma)\) associated to any (parametrized) surface \(\Sigma\); \item[--] a graded differential module \(\text{CFD}(M)\) of type \(D\) over \(\mathcal A(\Sigma)\) associated to any 3-manifold \(M\) with \(\partial M=\Sigma\); \item[--] a graded \(\mathcal A_\infty\)-module \(\text{CFA}(M)\) of type \(A\) over \(\mathcal A(\Sigma)\) associated to any 3-manifold \(M\) with \(\partial M=\Sigma\); \item[--] a pairing \(\otimes\) such that \(\text{CFA}(M_1)\otimes_{\mathcal A(\Sigma)}\text{CFD}(M_2)\cong \text{HF}(M)\) whenever \(M=M_1\cup_{\Sigma}M_2\). \end{itemize}} The present paper introduces the first half of a similar bordered theory for Khovanov homology. More precisely, the author defines: {\parindent=0.7cm\begin{itemize}\item[--] for a collection of \(2n\) distincts points on the \(y\)-axis of the plane, a bigraded differential algebra \(\mathcal B\Gamma_n\) which, somehow, records how a tangle diagram lying on the \((x\geq0)\)-half plane and bounded by the \(2n\) points can be closed into a link diagram; \item[--] for any oriented tangle diagram \(\overrightarrow{T}\) lying on the \((x\geq0)\)-half plane and bounded by \(2n\) points, a graded differential module \(|| \overrightarrow{T} \rangle\!\rangle\) of type \(D\) over \(\mathcal B\Gamma_n\). \end{itemize}} The constructions, given over \(\mathbb Z\)-coefficients, are completely combinatorial. The paper is hence rather technical but quite elementary and easily read. The missing type \(A\) structure and pairing operation are given in [\textit{L. P. Roberts}, Algebr. Geom. Topol. 16, No. 6, 3653--3719 (2016; Zbl 1360.57026)]. The paper is organized as follows. In Section 2, the author defines \(\mathcal B\Gamma_n\) in a spirit close to \textit{O. Viro}'s reformulation of Khovanov homology as exposed in [Fundam. Math. 184, 317--342 (2004; Zbl 1078.57013)]; the section ends with an explicit description for the \(n=1\) and \(n=2\) cases. Section 3 reformulates in the author's notation a previous construction of Khovanov homology for tangles -- but which was not compatible with the gluing operation -- given by \textit{M. M. Asaeda} et al. [Contemp. Math. 416, 1--8 (2006; Zbl 1138.57013)] and extends it to define \(|| \overrightarrow{T} \rangle\!\rangle\). In Section 4, the notion of type \(D\) structure is reviewed and \(|| \overrightarrow{T} \rangle\!\rangle\) is then endowed in Section 5 with the map \(\overrightarrow{\delta_T}:||\overrightarrow{T} \rangle\!\rangle\to \mathcal B\Gamma_n\otimes||\overrightarrow{T} \rangle\!\rangle\) which defines its type \(D\) structure. Section 6 is devoted to the proof of invariance of the above construction under Reidemeister moves. The author's invariant is finally computed for trivial 1 and 2-component tangles, as well as for the open right-handed trefoil in Section 7. The paper ends with a technical appendix proving a cancellation lemma for the type \(D\) structure.