Representations of the Kauffman bracket skein algebra. I: Invariants and miraculous cancellations (Q284630)

The Kauffman bracket skein algebra \({\mathcal S}^A(S)\) is a central notion in quantum topology, related to \(SU(2)\) topological quantum field theory; it is also known to give a deformation quantization of the \(\text{SL}_2({\mathbb C})\) character variety of the fundamental group of the surface \(S\). \({\mathcal S}^A(S)\) is defined as the vector space freely spanned by the isotopy classes of framed links in \(S\times [0,1]\), modulo the Kauffman skein relations. Here \(A\) is a parameter, and the case relevant to TQFT corresponds to specializations of \(A\) to roots of unity. This paper develops general methods for analyzing the structure of finite-dimensional representations of the Kauffman skein algebra. A well-known representation of this type, where \(A\) is a root of unity, arises in the Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev \(SU(2)\) topological quantum field theory, where curves on a surface act as curve operators on the TQFT vector space associated to the surface. The main result of the paper is the following theorem. Let \(A^2\) be a primitive \(N\)-th root of unity with \(N\) odd, and such that \(A^N=-1\). Then for every finite-dimensional irreducible representation \({\rho}: {\mathcal S}^A(S)\longrightarrow \text{End}(V)\), there exists a unique \(\text{SL}_2({\mathbb C})\) character \(r_{\rho}\) such that \(T_N({\rho}([K]))=-(\text{Tr} \, r_{\rho}(K))\text{Id}_V\). Here \(T_N\) denotes the \(N\)-th normalized Chebyshev polynomial of the first kind, and \(K\) is any knot in \(S\times [0,1]\) whose projection to \(S\) has no crossings, and with vertical framing. (A version is also stated in the case when \(A^N=+1\), and a generalization is given where \(K\) is replaced by any skein.) It is worth noting that Chebyshev polynomials of the \textit{second} kind are more familiar in quantum topology -- for example they are relevant in the construction of the Jones-Wenzl projectors -- but it is the Chebyshev polynomials of the \textit{first} kind that are used in the statement above. The authors call the character \(r_{\rho}\) the \textit{classical shadow} associated to the representation \({\rho}\). In follow-up articles, the authors establish the converse: given an \(\text{SL}_2({\mathbb C})\) character \(r\), there is a finite dimensional representation \({\rho}\) of the skein algebra with \(r_{\rho}=r\); a version involving puncture invariants is also proved for punctured surfaces. A key ingredient in the proof of the main result is the observation that for any knot \(K\) in the statement of the theorem, the evaluation \(T_N([K])\) is central in \({\mathcal S}^A(S)\). This \textit{threading map}, introduced by the authors, has already proved to be influential in the subject, yielding new results on the structure of the Kauffman bracket skein algebra.