Topological description of representations of \(U_q(sl_2)\) (Q5928964)

Equivalences of categories are constructed between certain diagrammatic categories on the one hand and categories of representations of \(U_q(sl_2)\) on the other hand. The definition of the diagrammatic (ribbon) categories follows \textit{V. G. Turaev}'s approach [see chapter XII of ``Quantum invariant of knots and 3-manifolds'', Berlin: de Gruyter (1994; Zbl 0812.57003)]. The image categories have objects which are direct summands of tensor products of finite dimensional simple modules. When \(q\) is a root of unity, one has to factor out socalled `negligible morphisms'. The proofs use the Temperley-Lieb category and the Jones-Wenzl idempotents. A more detailed graphical calculus for \(U_q(sl_2)\)-representations has been obtained by \textit{I. B. Frenkel} and \textit{M. G. Khovanov} [Duke Math. J. 87, No. 3, 409-480 (1997; Zbl 0883.17013)], using the dual canonical basis.