Cyclic operads and algebra of chord diagrams (Q699671)

Let \({\mathcal A}\) be the algebra of chord diagrams, which is dual to the algebra of Vassiliev knot invariants. The main result is an isomorphism between \({\mathcal A}\) and an enveloping algebra of the universal Casimir Lie algebra \({\mathbb L}^C\). Here a Casimir Lie algebra is a Lie algebra with an invariant symmetric two-tensor, and \({\mathbb L}^C\) is universal for Casimir Lie algebras in arbitrary linear tensor categories. As a corollary, there is a Kirillov-Duflo isomorphism for algebras of chord diagrams. The main tool is a functor from cyclic operads to modular operads. Applying this to the operad for Lie algebras gives \({\mathcal A}\); applying it to the operad for homotopy Lie algebras gives Kontsevich's graph complex.