The state sum invariant of 3-manifolds constructed from the \(E_{6}\) linear skein (Q373645)

The \(E_6\) state sum invariant (Turaev--Viro--Ocneanu invariant) is a topological invariant of closed \(3\)--manifolds constructed using \(6j\)--symbols of the \(E_6\) subfactor. Unlike state sum invariants constructed using \(6j\) symbols obtained from representations of quantum groups, there is no Reshetikhin--Turaev invariant in the \(E_6\) case, and so the \(E_6\) state sum invariant must be computed directly. The state sum invariant defines a recursive relation among link diagrams, giving rise to the \(E_6\) linear skein, that is a vector space defined spanned by certain local planar graphs. The Kuperberg programme for state sum invariants says that we should understand the \(E_6\) state sum invariant through the \(E_6\) linear skein. A presentation for the \(E_6\) linear skein was given by \textit{S. Bigelow} [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 214, No. 5, 658--666 (2010; Zbl 1192.46059)]. The paper under review modifies Bigelow's presentation in a clever way, and uses it to show that the \(E_6\) linear skein is one-dimensional, which means that the \(E_6\) state sum invariant may be constructed and computed diagrammatically by applying the relations of the linear skein recursively until we obtain a scalar multiple of the empty diagram--- and that scalar is the \(E_6\) state sum invariant of the closed \(3\)--manifold of interest. The method is illustrated by a computation of the \(E_6\) state sum invariants of the lens spaces \(L(4,1)\), \(L(5,2)\), and \(L(5,1)\).