Endomorphism algebras and \(q\)-traces (Q964522)

Let \((V, \sigma)\) be a braided vector space with \(\sigma \in \text{End}(V\otimes V)\) of Hecke type, that is, \(\sigma\) satisfies the Iwahori quadratic equation \[ (\sigma + \text{id}_{V\otimes V})(\sigma -\nu \text{id}_{V\otimes V})=0, \] for some nonzero complex number \(\nu\). Denote by \(S_{\sigma}(V)\) the quantum symmetric algebra built on \((V, \sigma)\) and assume that \(\text{dim}S^M_\sigma(V)=1\) for some \(M\) and \(\text{dim}S^p_\sigma(V)=0\) for \(p>M\), where \(S^p_\sigma(V)\) is the \(p\)th component of \(S_\sigma(V)\). The main goal of the paper is to extend results from \textit{H. Osborn} [Enseign. Math., II. Sér. 31, 213--225 (1985; Zbl 0605.16018)] to the quantum case. Towards this end, first three associative algebra structures on the space \(\oplus_{p=0}^M\text{End}^p_\sigma(V)\) of graded endomorphisms of \(S_\sigma(V)\) are introduced. Then the second product is used in the construction of a new trace, called \(q\)-trace, which is an algebra morphism with respect to the third product. As an application, the author computes the \(q\)-trace in the case when the braided vector space \((V, \sigma)\) is defined by the fundamental representation of \(U_q(sl_{N+1})\) and its \(R\)-matrix. It comes out that in this particular case the \(q\)-trace is just a scalar multiple of the quantum trace of \(U_q(sl_{N+1})\).