We present a construction of left braces of right nilpotency class at most two based on suitable actions of an abelian group on itself with an invariance condition. This construction allows us to recover the construction of a free right nilpotent one-generated left brace of class two.

We introduce the notions of quasi-Laurent and Laurent families of simple modules over quiver Hecke algebras of arbitrary symmetrizable types. We prove that such a family plays a similar role of a cluster in quantum cluster algebra theory and exhibits a quantum Laurent positivity phenomenon similar to the basis of the quantum unipotent coordinate ring $\mathcal {A}_q(\mathfrak {n}(w))$, coming from the categorification. Then we show that the families of simple modules categorifying Geiß–Leclerc–Schröer (GLS) clusters are Laurent families by using the Poincaré–Birkhoff–Witt (PBW) decomposition vector of a simple module $X$ and categorical interpretation of (co)degree of $[X]$. As applications of such $\mathbb {Z}\mspace {1mu}$-vectors, we define several skew-symmetric pairings on arbitrary pairs of simple modules, and investigate the relationships among the pairings and $\Lambda$-invariants of $R$-matrices in the quiver Hecke algebra theory.

We describe the one-generator braces A satisfying the condition $A^3 = \langle 0 \rangle$.

Let G be a compact quantum group. We show that given a G-equivariant $\textrm {C}^*$-correspondence E, the Pimsner algebra $\mathcal {O}_E$ can be naturally made into a G-$\textrm {C}^*$-algebra. We also provide sufficient conditions under which it is guaranteed that a G-action on the Pimsner algebra $\mathcal {O}_E$ arises in this way, in a suitable precise sense. When G is of Kac type, a KMS state on the Pimsner algebra, arising from a quasi-free dynamics, is G-equivariant if and only if the tracial state obtained from restricting it to the coefficient algebra is G-equivariant, under a natural condition. We apply these results to the situation when the $\textrm {C}^*$-correspondence is obtained from a finite, directed graph and draw various conclusions on the quantum automorphism groups of such graphs, both in the sense of Banica and Bichon.

We establish an equivalence between two approaches to quantization of irreducible symmetric spaces of compact type within the framework of quasi-coactions, one based on the Enriquez–Etingof cyclotomic Knizhnik–Zamolodchikov (KZ) equations and the other on the Letzter–Kolb coideals. This equivalence can be upgraded to that of ribbon braided quasi-coactions, and then the associated reflection operators (K-matrices) become a tangible invariant of the quantization. As an application we obtain a Kohno–Drinfeld type theorem on type $\mathrm {B}$ braid group representations defined by the monodromy of KZ-equations and by the Balagović–Kolb universal K-matrices. The cases of Hermitian and non-Hermitian symmetric spaces are significantly different. In particular, in the latter case a quasi-coaction is essentially unique, while in the former we show that there is a one-parameter family of mutually nonequivalent quasi-coactions.

Skew left braces arise naturally from the study of non-degenerate set-theoretic solutions of the Yang–Baxter equation. To understand the algebraic structure of skew left braces, a study of the decomposition into minimal substructures is relevant. We introduce chief series and prove a strengthened form of the Jordan–Hölder theorem for finite skew left braces. A characterization of right nilpotency and an application to multipermutation solutions are also given.

Set-theoretic solutions to the Yang–Baxter equation can be classified by their universal coverings and their fundamental groupoids. Extending previous results, universal coverings of irreducible involutive solutions are classified in the degenerate case. These solutions are described in terms of a group with a distinguished self-map. The classification in the nondegenerate case is simplified and compared with the description in the degenerate case.

An unexpected relationship between indecomposable involutive set-theoretic solutions to the Yang–Baxter equation and one-generator braces has recently been discovered by Agata and Alicja Smoktunowicz. We extend these results and answer three open questions which arose in this context.

In this paper we study consequences of the results of Kang et al. [Monoidal categorification of cluster algebras, J. Amer. Math. Soc. 31 (2018), 349–426] on a monoidal categorification of the unipotent quantum coordinate ring $A_{q}(\mathfrak{n}(w))$ together with the Laurent phenomenon of cluster algebras. We show that if a simple module $S$ in the category ${\mathcal{C}}_{w}$ strongly commutes with all the cluster variables in a cluster $[\mathscr{C}]$, then $[S]$ is a cluster monomial in $[\mathscr{C}]$. If $S$ strongly commutes with cluster variables except for exactly one cluster variable $[M_{k}]$, then $[S]$ is either a cluster monomial in $[\mathscr{C}]$ or a cluster monomial in $\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}_{k}([\mathscr{C}])$. We give a new proof of the fact that the upper global basis is a common triangular basis (in the sense of Qin [Triangular bases in quantum cluster algebras and monoidal categorification conjectures, Duke Math. 166 (2017), 2337–2442]) of the localization $\widetilde{A}_{q}(\mathfrak{n}(w))$ of $A_{q}(\mathfrak{n}(w))$ at the frozen variables. A characterization on the commutativity of a simple module $S$ with cluster variables in a cluster $[\mathscr{C}]$ is given in terms of the denominator vector of $[S]$ with respect to the cluster $[\mathscr{C}]$.

We answer a question of Skalski and Sołan (2016) about inner faithfulness of the Curran’s map of extending a quantum increasing sequence to a quantum permutation. Roughly speaking, we find a inductive setting in which the inner faithfulness of Curran’s map can be boiled down to inner faithfulness of similar map for smaller algebras and then rely on inductive generation result for quantum permutation groups of Brannan, Chirvasitu and Freslon (2018).

Motivated by a question of A. Skalski and P. M. Sołtan (2016) about inner faithfulness of S. Curran’s map of extending a quantum increasing sequence to a quantum permutation, we revisit the results and techniques of T. Banica and J. Bichon (2009) and study some group-theoretic properties of the quantum permutation group on points. This enables us not only to answer the aforementioned question in the positive for the case where $n\,=\,4,\,k\,=\,2$, but also to classify the automorphisms of $S_{4}^{+}$, describe all the embeddings ${{O}_{-1}}(2)\,\subset \,S_{4}^{+}$ and show that all the copies of ${{O}_{-1}}(2)$ inside $S_{4}^{+}$are conjugate. We then use these results to show that the converse to the criterion we applied to answer the aforementioned question is not valid.

Let $\mathbb{L}\subset A\times I$ be a link in a thickened annulus. We show that its sutured annular Khovanov homology carries an action of $\mathfrak{sl}_{2}(\wedge )$, the exterior current algebra of $\mathfrak{sl}_{2}$. When $\mathbb{L}$ is an $m$-framed $n$-cable of a knot $K\subset S^{3}$, its sutured annular Khovanov homology carries a commuting action of the symmetric group $\mathfrak{S}_{n}$. One therefore obtains a ‘knotted’ Schur–Weyl representation that agrees with classical $\mathfrak{sl}_{2}$ Schur–Weyl duality when $K$ is the Seifert-framed unknot.

A quantum Frobenius map a la Lusztig for $\mathfrak{s}\mathfrak{l}_{2}$ is categorified at a prime root of unity.

We prove that, for simple modules $M$ and $N$ over a quantum affine algebra, their tensor product $M\otimes N$ has a simple head and a simple socle if $M\otimes M$ is simple. A similar result is proved for the convolution product of simple modules over quiver Hecke algebras.

We prove that the two-variable $\text{BMW}$ algebra embeds into an algebra constructed from the $\text{HOMFLY-PT}$ polynomial. We also prove that the $\mathfrak{s}{{\mathfrak{O}}_{2N}}-\text{BMW}$ algebra embeds in the $q$-Schur algebra of type $A$. We use these results to suggest a schema providing categorifications of the $\mathfrak{s}{{\mathfrak{D}}_{2N}}-\text{BMW}$ algebra.

Certain polynomials in ${{n}^{2}}$ variables that serve as generating functions for symmetric group characters are sometimes called $\left( {{S}_{n}} \right)$ character immanants. We point out a close connection between the identities of Littlewood–Merris–Watkins and Goulden–Jackson, which relate ${{S}_{n}}$ character immanants to the determinant, the permanent and MacMahon's Master Theorem. From these results we obtain a generalization of Muir's identity. Working with the quantum polynomial ring and the Hecke algebra ${{H}_{n}}\left( q \right)$, we define quantum immanants that are generating functions for Hecke algebra characters. We then prove quantum analogs of the Littlewood–Merris–Watkins identities and selected Goulden–Jackson identities that relate ${{H}_{n}}\left( q \right)$ character immanants to the quantum determinant, quantum permanent, and quantum Master Theorem of Garoufalidis–Lê–Zeilberger. We also obtain a generalization of Zhang's quantization of Muir's identity.

We define analogs of the Jucys-Murphy elements for the affine Temperley-Lieb algebra and give their explicit expansion in terms of the basis of planar Brauer diagrams. These Jucys-Murphy elements are a family of commuting elements in the affine Temperley-Lieb algebra, and we compute their eigenvalues on the generic irreducible representations. We show that they come from Jucys-Murphy elements in the affine Hecke algebra of type A, which in turn come from the Casimir element of the quantum group . We also give the explicit specializations of these results to the finite Temperley-Lieb algebra.

In this paper we give a re-normalization of the Reshetikhin–Turaev quantum invariants of links, using modified quantum dimensions. In the case of simple Lie algebras these modified quantum dimensions are proportional to the usual quantum dimensions. More interestingly, we give two examples where the usual quantum dimensions vanish but the modified quantum dimensions are non-zero and lead to non-trivial link invariants. The first of these examples is a class of invariants arising from Lie superalgebras previously defined by the first two authors. These link invariants are multivariable and generalize the multivariable Alexander polynomial. The second example is a hierarchy of link invariants arising from nilpotent representations of quantized at a root of unity. These invariants contain Kashaev’s quantum dilogarithm invariants of knots.

We define the notion of a Kirby element of a ribbon category $\mathcal{C}$ (not necessarily semisimple). Kirby elements lead to 3-manifold invariants. We characterize a class of Kirby elements, the algebraic Kirby elements, in terms of the structure maps of a Hopf algebra in $\mathcal{C}$. This class is sufficiently large to recover the quantum invariants of 3-manifolds of Reshetikhin and Turaev, of Hennings, Kauffman and Radford, and of Lyubashenko when these are well defined. The cases of a semisimple ribbon category and of a category of representations are explored in detail.

We construct explicit examples of weak Hopf algebras (actually face algebras in the sense of Hayashi [H]) via vacant double groupoids as explained in [AN]. To this end, we first study the Kac exact sequence for matched pairs of groupoids and show that it can be computed via group cohomology. Then we describe explicit examples of finite vacant double groupoids.