A cellular basis for the generalized Temperley-Lieb algebra and Mahler measure (Q471450)

The Temperley-Lieb algebra, originating in their study of discrete lattice models in statistical physics [\textit{H. V. N. Temperley} and \textit{E. H. Lieb}, Proc. R. Soc. Lond., Ser. A 322, 251--280 (1971; Zbl 0211.56703)], carries an inner product and may be used to compute the Kauffman bracket [\textit{L. H. Kauffman}, Topology 26, 395--407 (1987; Zbl 0622.57004)] and hence the Jones polynomial of the closure of a tangle [\textit{V. F. R. Jones}, Bull. Am. Math. Soc., New Ser. 12, 103--111 (1985; Zbl 0564.57006)]. In this paper the relationship is refined further, giving a path from sub-algebras of the Temperley-Lieb algebra to the computation of colored Jones polynomials. Part of the emphasis is on facilitating explicit computation via a cellular basis and constructing a set of separating Jucys-Murphy elements. This permits the authors to find a complete set of irreducible modules along with their corresponding set of primitive idempotents, which are used to understand properties of the Mahler measures of the Jones and colored Jones polynomials of recursively defined links. A specific application of this approach is that this includes links formed by adding multiple twists on a collection of strands. This permits a single proof of the result of \textit{A. Champanerkar} and \textit{I. Kofman} [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 5, 1--22 (2005; Zbl 1061.57007)] that the Mahler measure of both Jones and colored Jones polynomials converge under repeated twisting on any number of strands, supporting the relation between these Mahler measures and the behaviour of hyperbolic volume under Dehn surgery.