English

Quantum traces for $SL_n$-skein algebras

Geometric Topology 2025-05-29 v2

Abstract

We establish the existence of several quantum trace maps. The simplest one is an algebra map between two quantizations of the algebra of regular functions on the SLnSL_n-character variety of a surface S\mathfrak{S} equipped with an ideal triangulation λ\lambda. The first is the (stated) SLnSL_n-skein algebra S(S)\mathscr{S}(\mathfrak{S}). The second X(S,λ)\overline{\mathcal{X}}(\mathfrak{S},\lambda) is the Fock and Goncharov's quantization of their XX-moduli space. The quantum trace is an algebra homomorphism trˉX:S(S)X(S,λ)\bar{tr}^X:\overline{\mathscr{S}}(\mathfrak{S})\to\overline{\mathcal{X}}(\mathfrak{S},\lambda) where the reduced skein algebra S(S)\overline{\mathscr{S}}(\mathfrak{S}) is a quotient of S(S)\mathscr{S}(\mathfrak{S}). When the quantum parameter is 1, the quantum trace trˉX\bar{tr}^X coincides with the classical Fock-Goncharov homomorphism. This is a generalization of the Bonahon-Wong quantum trace map for the case n=2n=2. We then define the extended Fock-Goncharov algebra X(S,λ)\mathcal{X}(\mathfrak{S},\lambda) and show that trˉX\bar{tr}^X can be lifted to trX:S(S)X(S,λ)tr^X:\mathscr{S}(\mathfrak{S})\to\mathcal{X}(\mathfrak{S},\lambda). We show that both trˉX\bar{tr}^X and trXtr^X are natural with respect to the change of triangulations. When each connected component of S\mathfrak{S} has non-empty boundary and no interior ideal point, we define a quantization of the Fock-Goncharov AA-moduli space A(S,λ)\overline{\mathcal{A}}(\mathfrak{S},\lambda) and its extension A(S,λ)\mathcal{A}(\mathfrak{S},\lambda). We then show that there exist quantum traces trˉA:S(S)A(S,λ)\bar{tr}^A:\overline{\mathscr{S}}(\mathfrak{S})\to\overline{\mathcal{A}}(\mathfrak{S},\lambda) and trA:S(S)A(S,λ)tr^A:\mathscr{S}(\mathfrak{S})\hookrightarrow\mathcal{A}(\mathfrak{S},\lambda), where the second map is injective, while the first is injective at least when S\mathfrak{S} is a polygon. They are equivalent to the XX-versions but have better algebraic properties.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2303.08082,
  title  = {Quantum traces for $SL_n$-skein algebras},
  author = {Thang T. Q. Lê and Tao Yu},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2303.08082},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

111 pages, 35 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-28T09:16:59.955Z