Octonions, monopoles, and knots

Special connections and metrics on vector bundles (Hermite-Einstein, Yang-Mills) (53C07) Yang-Mills and other gauge theories in quantum field theory (81T13) String and superstring theories; other extended objects (e.g., branes) in quantum field theory (81T30)

Abstract: Witten's approach to Khovanov homology of knots is based on the five-dimensional system of partial differential equations, which we call Haydys-Witten equations. We argue for a one-to-one correspondence between its solutions and solutions of the seven-dimensional system of equations. The latter can be formulated on any G2 holonomy manifold and is a close cousin of the monopole equation of Bogomolny. Octonions play the central role in our view, in which both the seven-dimensional equations and the Haydys-Witten equations appear as reductions of the eight-dimensional Spin(7) instanton equation.

Review text

The article under review proposes an alternative to the Haydys--Witten equations, which is a central ingredient in Witten's interpretation of Khovanov homology in terms of gauge theory [\textit{E. Witten}, Quantum Topol. 3, No. 1, 1--137 (2012; Zbl 1241.57041)]. This 5-dimensional system of PDEs is shown to come from an 8-dimensional system (the \(\mathrm{Spin}(7)\) instanton equations) described using octonions. The author then shows that on a manifold with \(G_2\) holonomy, the latter system also admits a 7-dimensional reduction, which he calls the octonionic monopole equation. Based on string theory considerations, he conjectures that there is a one-to-one correspondence between its solutions and solutions to the Haydys--Witten equations. The paper ends with some speculations on the quantum-theoretic significance of the octonionic monopole equation.

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