Quantum mechanics, knot theory, and quantum doubles (Q674985)

This paper starts by giving a brief summary of the by now classical connections between knot theory, solutions to the quantum Yang-Baxter equation and quantum groups. In particular, the Kauffman bracket [\textit{L. H. Kauffman}, Topology 26, 395-407 (1987; Zbl 0622.57004)] is introduced and then demonstrated to have an interpretation in terms of compositions of tensors corresponding to local pieces of a link diagram in the form of crossings and local minima and maxima, with respect to a chosen height function. The tensor associated to a crossing is observed to satisfy the quantum (constant) Yang-Baxter equation. The associated quantum group is \(SL_q(2)\) in the sense of the \(RTT\) construction of \textit{L. D. Faddeev, N. Yu. Reshetikhin} and \textit{L. A. Takhtadzhan} [Leningrad Math. J. 1, No. 1, 193-225 (1990); translation from Algebra Anal. 1, No. 1, 178-206 (1989; Zbl 0715.17015)], and it is also noted to arise in a dual form as \({\text{Fun}}_qSL(2)\), from the class of objects preserving a suitable non-degenerate bilinear form, which turns out to be precisely the tensor associated with a local minimum in a diagram. The paper goes on to discuss the classical Tannaka duality between a classical compact group and the Hopf algebra structure existing on its algebra of functions, as well as the quantum version, Tannaka-Krein duality, between \({\text{Fun}}_qG\) and the category of finite dimensional unitary representations. In the case of a commutative group \(G\), the latter just reduces to Pontryagin duality. The self duality of the cyclic group \({\mathbb{Z}}_N\) in this respect, was used in previous work of the author [\textit{A. E. F. Djemai}, Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 10, No. 23, 3303-3318 (1995)], to generate a new (isolated, i.e. without parameter) non-trivial solution to the quantum Yang-Baxter equation on a vector space of dimension \(N^2-1\). The associated quantum group (from the \(RTT\) construction) is explicitly given here for the case of \(N=2\). The last section of the paper goes on to describe the general construction of a quantum double [\textit{V. G. Drinfeld}, Proc. Int. Congr. Math., Berkeley/Calif. 1986, Vo. 1, 798-820 (1987; Zbl 0667.16003)] of a Hopf algebra, along with the natural \(R\)-matrix which lives on the quantum double, for which a diagrammatic formalism, similar Kauffman's, is also introduced. Finally, a quantum mechanical interpretation of the double construction is given, explicitly illustrated for the case of \(SL_q(2)\) with a two-dimensional phase space, in which a Hopf algebra \(H\) is associated with the algebra of evolution operators of a quantum particle, and its dual with the evolution of an anti-partner. The quantum double then corresponds to the evolution of particle-antiparticle pairs, while the natural \(R\)-matrix can now be interpreted as describing the interaction of two particle-antiparticle pairs.