Bethe ansatz for the universal weight function (Q621416)

Consider the quantum affine algebra \(\overline U_q(\widehat{\mathfrak{gl}}_N)\) and its standard Borel subalgebra \(U_q(\mathfrak{b}^+)\), where \(q\neq 0\) is not a root of unity. The main theorem of this article states a formal series identity with coefficients in \(U_q(\mathfrak{b}^+)\) relating the transfer matrix and the universal weight function modulo an ideal involving the Bethe ideal and the Bethe equations. As a corollary, it follows that the universal off-shell Bethe vector is an eigenvector of the universal transfer matrix if the Bethe equations of \(\overline{U}_q (\widehat{\mathfrak{gl}}_N)\)-hierarchical Bethe ansatz are satisfied. The proof of the main result requires more than 2/3 of the paper and it is done using induction on \(N\). Among other things, it uses the current realization of \(\overline{U}_q(\widehat{\mathfrak{gl}}_N)\), Cartan-Weyl generators and a special presentation of the weight function. The advantage of considering Cartan-Weyl generators relies on the fact that they provide a convex or circular ordering and this allows to reduce the calculation of the commutations of the Gauss coordinates and total currents.