A new involution for quantum loop algebras (Q524489)

Canonical bases are special bases of the positive part of a quantized enveloping algebra \(U^+_v(\mathfrak{g})\). They have many remarkable properties, for instance: positivity and compatibility with highest weight modules and tensor product. There are two main approaches to the construction of canonical bases: the Hall algebra approach, originally due to Lusztig; and the crystal basis approach, originally due to Kashiwara. The latter relies on the introduction of a bar involution \(\varphi\) and so-called Kashiwara operators on \(U^+_v(\mathfrak{g})\). If we denote by \(\mathcal A\) the localization of \({\mathbb Q}[v]\) at \(0\), the operators are used to construct an \({\mathcal A}\)-lattice \({\mathcal L}\) in \(U^+_v(\mathfrak{g})\) and a basis \({\mathcal B}\) in \(\mathcal{L}/v\mathcal{L}\). The properties of these operators can be used to prove that \(U^+_v(\mathfrak{g})\cap {\mathcal L}\cap \varphi({\mathcal L})\simeq \mathcal{L}/v\mathcal{L}\) and that, through this isomorphism, \({\mathcal B}\) corresponds to Lusztig's canonical basis. The aim of the present paper is the construction of a bar involution \(\varphi\) and Kashiwara operators on a suitable completion of the positive part \(U_v^+({\mathcal L}\mathfrak{g})\) of a quantum loop algebra. Accordingly, \({\mathcal L}\) and \({\mathcal B}\) are defined. The author formulates a conjecture stating that \(\varphi\), the operators, \({\mathcal L}\) and \({\mathcal B}\) enjoy the properties needed for the construction of the canonical basis. If \({\mathfrak g}=\mathfrak{sl}_2\) this is indeed the case: the construction can be carried out and the basis one gets this way coincides with the canonical basis obtained in [\textit{O. Schiffmann}, Invent. Math. 165, No. 3, 453--524 (2006; Zbl 1142.17004)].