Decomposition of some Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev representations into irreducible factors (Q2633024)

Following a proposal of Witten [\textit{E. Witten}, Commun. Math. Phys. 121, No. 3, 351--399 (1989; Zbl 0667.57005)], Reshetikhin and Turaev defined Topological Quantum Field Theories from representations of quantum groups [\textit{N. Reshetikhin} and \textit{V. G. Turaev}, Invent. Math. 103, No. 3, 547--597 (1991; Zbl 0725.57007)]. Following the skein-theoretic approach developed in [\textit{W. B. R. Lickorish}, Pac. J. Math. 149, No. 2, 337--347 (1991; Zbl 0728.57011); \textit{C. Blanchet} et al., Topology 34, No. 4, 883--927 (1995; Zbl 0887.57009)], the paper under review studies the associated \(\mathrm{SU}(2)\)-representations of a central extension of the mapping class group of a closed surface. For a genus-\(2\) surface, these representations are decomposed into irreducible factors. Some partial results are given in higher genus.