Associators with Frozen Feet
The Goal
The purpose of the paperlet is to find an explicit formula for an associator with frozen feet. As I'm starting to write, I don't know such a formula. My hope is that as I type up all the relevant equations, a solution will emerge. I'll be just as happy if it emerges in somebody else's mind, provided (s)he shares her/his thoughts.
A horizontal associator is a solution Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Phi\in A_3} of the pentagon equation and the hexagon equations ([Drinfeld_90], [Drinfeld_91], [Bar-Natan_97]):
| [Pentagon] |
| [Hexagons] |
Here Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A_n} is the algebra of horizontal chord diagrams on Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle n} vertical strands; i.e., Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A_n=\left.\left\langle t^{ij}=t^{ji}\right\rangle\right/[t^{ij},t^{kl}]=[t^{ij},t^{ik}+t^{jk}]=0} , with Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle i} , Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle j} , Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle k} and Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle l} all different integers between Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle 1} and Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle n} . Also, here Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle R\in A_2} will be Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \exp\,t^{12}} (slightly different than the normal convention of Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \exp\,t^{12}/2} , just to save some denominators).
The frozen feet quotient of any associative algebra Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A} is the quotient Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A^{ff}:=A\left/\left\langle xyz-xzy\right\rangle\right.} . (In a vertical presentation of chord diagrams we may think of the first letter of a word as its foot. The frozen feet relation makes all letters of a word commute, except perhaps the first one. "Molten bodies" is perhaps more accurate, but it is definitely less catchy).
What we are looking for is an associator with frozen feet, a solution of exactly the same equations, except regarded with the frozen feet quotients Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A^{ff}_n} of Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A_n} .
Why Bother?
This isn't the place to explain the need for an explicit associator. The need is there even if it is a bit under-appreciated. Why frozen feet? Because finding an honest explicit horizontal associator seems too hard, and as a warm up and perhaps a step, it seems worthwhile to look for associators in some quotient spaces. The frozen feet quotient is the simplest quotient I'm aware off for which the answer is unknown.
Why might it be doable?
Because frozen feet are really molten bodies. It is known that there exists and associator of the form Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Phi=1+F(t^{13},t^{23})} , where Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle F} is some non-commutative power series with no constant term. Once the body melts (but keeping the feet frozen), this becomes
| [Phi] |
where Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle F_{13}} and Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle F_{23}} are commutative power series (i.e., "functions"). So finding an associator with frozen feet reduces to finding two, just two, functions of two, just two, variables, satisfying some algebraic equations. How hard can that be?
So is it doable?
Me? Why are you asking me? My forte is in daydreaming; not in solving math problems. Anyway, let's try. The hexagon equations are easier (they are written in Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A_3} and not the "bigger" Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A_4} ) and in some sense more important (they force Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Phi} to be non-trivial; Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Phi=1} solves the pentagon but not the hexagons), so we will start with the hexagons. First we simply the hexagon in Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A^{ff}_3} , factor by factor:
| Factor | Written in Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A^{ff}_3} | Comments |
| Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle (\Delta\otimes 1)(R^{\pm 1})} | Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle 1+t^{13}\frac{\exp(\pm t^{13}\pm t^{23})-1}{t^{13}+t^{23}}+t^{23}\frac{\exp(\pm t^{13}\pm t^{23})-1}{t^{13}+t^{23}}} | We use Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle e^{\pm x}=1+x\frac{e^{\pm x}-1}{x}} to write exponentials with their frozen parts made explicit |
| Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Phi^{123}} | Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle 1+t^{13}F_1(t^{13}, t^{23})+t^{23}F_2(t^{13}, t^{23})} | |
| Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle (R^{\pm 1})^{23}} | Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle 1+t^{23}\frac{\exp(\pm t^{23})-1}{t^{23}}} | |
| Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle (\Phi^{-1})^{132}} | ||
| Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle (R^{\pm 1})^{13}} | ||
| Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \Phi^{312}} |
References
[Bar-Natan_97] ^ D. Bar-Natan, Non-associative tangles, in Geometric topology (proceedings of the Georgia international topology conference), (W. H. Kazez, ed.), 139-183, Amer. Math. Soc. and International Press, Providence, 1997.
[Drinfeld_90] ^ V. G. Drinfel'd, Quasi-Hopf algebras, Leningrad Math. J. 1 (1990) 1419-1457.
[Drinfeld_91] ^ V. G. Drinfel'd, On quasitriangular Quasi-Hopf algebras and a group closely connected with Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \operatorname{Gal}(\bar{\mathbb Q}/{\mathbb Q})} , Leningrad Math. J. 2 (1991) 829-860.
