Crystal bases for quantum affine algebras and Young walls (Q734758)

The authors propose a unified combinatorial framework to describe crystals of highest weight representations of quantum affine algebras of classical types [see \textit{M. Kashiwara}, Commun. Math. Phys. 133, No. 2, 249--260 (1990; Zbl 0724.17009) and \textit{G. Lusztig}, J. Am. Math. Soc. 3, No. 2, 447--498 (1990; Zbl 0703.17008)] for the notion of crystal and canonical bases). The authors use Young walls in the sense of [\textit{S.-J. Kang}, Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 86, No. 1, 29--69 (2003; Zbl 1030.17013)]. The results can be viewed as generalizations for quantum groups of affine type of results obtained in [\textit{M. Kashiwara} and \textit{T. Nakashima}, J. Algebra 165, No. 2, 295--345 (1994; Zbl 0808.17005)] for quantum groups of finite type.