On the universal \(sl_2\) invariant of ribbon bottom tangles (Q969677)

A bottom tangle is a tangle in a cube consisting of arc components whose boundary points are placed on the bottom. Clearly, any link can be expressed as the closure of a bottom tangle. \textit{K. Habiro} [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 6, 1113--1214 (2006; Zbl 1130.57014)] introduced the universal invariant of bottom tangles associated to an arbitrary ribbon Hopf algebra, and later [Invent. Math. 171, No.~1, 1--81 (2008; Zbl 1144.57006)] studied their universal \(sl_2\) invariants. This invariant for an \(n\)-component bottom tangle takes values in the \(n\)-fold completed tensor power of the quantized enveloping algebra. Also, it has a universal property, that is, the colored link invariant, such as the colored Jones polynomial, of the link obtained as the closure of a bottom tangle is recovered from the universal invariant of the bottom tangle. A ribbon bottom tangle is a bottom tangle whose closure is a ribbon link. In the paper under review, the universal \(sl_2\) invariant of ribbon bottom tangles is studied. The main result shows that the invariant has values in a certain subalgebra of the completed tensor power of the quantized enveloping algebra.