The interplay between \(k\)-graphs and the Yang-Baxter equation. (Q908360)

Higher rank graphs were introduced in connection with \(C^*\)-algebras by \textit{A. Kumjian} and \textit{D. Pask} [New York J. Math. 6, 1-20 (2000; Zbl 0946.46044)]. Roughly, a \(k\)-graph is a countable category \(\Lambda\) with a degree function \(d\colon\Lambda\to\mathbb N^k\) such that any decomposition \(d(\lambda)=\vec a+\vec b\) corresponds to a unique factorization \(\lambda=\mu\nu\). In this very interesting paper, a close connection between single-vertex 3-graphs and set-theoretic solution to the Yang-Baxter equation (YBE) is made explicit in two essentially different ways. Firstly, every finite set-theoretic solution to the YBE is made into a single-vertex \(3\)-graph, associating the cube condition for the YBE (which also generates higher order shufflings) to the factorization property of the \(3\)-graph. For \(k\geq 3\), the higher order relations are covered. In the other direction, every single-vertex \(k\)-graph with \(k\geq 3\) gives rise to a class of square-free unitary solutions of the YBE via iterated regular extensions.