The Lawrence-Krammer-Bigelow representations of the braid groups via \(U_q(\mathfrak{sl}_2)\). (Q639566)

The authors construct and study quantum representations of the braid groups on the highest weight spaces \(\mathbf W_{n,l}\) of the \(n\)-th tensor product of the generic Verma module. The authors show that the \(\mathbf W_{n,l}\) are free modules, over the ring of Laurent polynomials in two variables, of dimension \(n+l-2\choose l\) by exhibiting explicit bases. For every \(n>1\), \(\mathbf W_{n,2}\) is proved to be isomorphic to the Lawrence-Krammer-Bigelow representation of the braid group on \(n\)-strands, after the Laurent parameters of the ring are appropriately identified. Moreover, the given basis for \(\mathbf W_{n,l}\) is mapped to the `fork' basis introduced by \textit{S. J. Bigelow} [in J. Am. Math. Soc. 14, No. 2, 471-486 (2001; Zbl 0988.20021)]. Also, for all \(n\geq 2\) and \(l\geq 0\) the representation of the braid group on \(n\)-strands on \(\mathbf W_{n,2}\) is irreducible over the field of fractions of the ring of Laurent polynomials in two variables. Finally, the authors conjecture that the \(\mathbf W_{n,l}\)-representations of the braid groups are isomorphic to those introduced by \textit{R. J. Lawrence} [in Commun. Math. Phys. 135, No. 1, 141-191 (1990; Zbl 0716.20022)] (note that this is indeed the case for the Lawrence-Krammer-Bigelow representation when \(l=2\), and for the Burau representation when \(l=1\)).