Link Homology Research Articles

Link splitting deformation of colored Khovanov–Rozansky homology

AbstractWe introduce a multiparameter deformation of the triply‐graded Khovanov–Rozansky homology of links colored by one‐column Young diagrams, generalizing the “‐ified” link homology of Gorsky–Hogancamp and work of Cautis–Lauda–Sussan. For each link component, the natural set of deformation parameters corresponds to interpolation coordinates on the Hilbert scheme of the plane. We extend our deformed link homology theory to braids by introducing a monoidal dg 2‐category of curved complexes of type A singular Soergel bimodules. Using this framework, we promote to the curved setting the categorical colored skein relation from our recent joint work and also the notion of splitting map for the colored full twists on two strands. As applications, we compute the invariants of colored Hopf links in terms of ideals generated by Haiman determinants and use these results to establish general link splitting properties for our deformed, colored, triply‐graded link homology. Informed by this, we formulate several conjectures that have implications for the relation between (colored) Khovanov–Rozansky homology and Hilbert schemes.

Positroid Catalan numbers

Given a (bounded affine) permutation f f , we study the positroid Catalan number C f C_f defined to be the torus-equivariant Euler characteristic of the associated open positroid variety. We introduce a class of repetition-free permutations and show that the corresponding positroid Catalan numbers count Dyck paths avoiding a convex subset of the rectangle. We show that any convex subset appears in this way. Conjecturally, the associated q , t q,t -polynomials coincide with the generalized q , t q,t -Catalan numbers that recently appeared in relation to the shuffle conjecture, flag Hilbert schemes, and Khovanov–Rozansky homology of Coxeter links.

Categorical Chern character and braid groups

To a braid β∈Brn we associate a complex of sheaves Sβ on Hilbn(C2) such that the previously defined triply graded link homology of the closure L(β) is isomorphic to the homology of Sβ. The construction of Sβ relies on the Chern functor CH:MFnst→DC⁎×C⁎per(Hilbn(C2)) defined in the paper together with its adjoint functor HC.

On $\mathfrak{sl}(N)$ link homology with mod $N$ coefficients

We construct an operator on \mathfrak{sl}(N) link homology with coefficients in a ring whose characteristic divides N . If P is a prime number, we use this operator to exhibit structural features of \mathfrak{sl}(P) link homology that are special to characteristic P that generalize well-known features of Khovanov homology that are special to characteristic 2.

On some p–differential graded link homologies, II

On some p–differential graded link homologies, II

On the functoriality of 𝔰𝔩2 tangle homology

We construct an explicit equivalence between the (bi)category of gl(2) webs and foams and the Bar-Natan (bi)category of Temperley-Lieb diagrams and cobordisms. With this equivalence we can fix functoriality of every link homology theory that factors through the Bar-Natan category. To achieve this, we define web versions of arc algebras and their quasi-hereditary covers, which provide strictly functorial tangle homologies. Furthermore, we construct explicit isomorphisms between these algebras and the original ones based on Temperley-Lieb cup diagrams. The immediate application is a strictly functorial version of the Beliakova-Putyra-Wehrli quantization of the annular link homology.

Split link detection for sl(P)$\mathfrak {sl}(P)$ link homology in characteristic P$P$

AbstractWe provide a sufficient condition for splitness of a link in terms of its reduced link homology with arbitrary field coefficients. The proof of sufficiency uses Dowlin's spectral sequence and sutured Floer homology with twisted coefficients. If is prime and the coefficient field is of characteristic , then the sufficient condition for splitness is also necessary. When , we recover Lipshitz–Sarkar's split link detection result for Khovanov homology with coefficients.

Invariants of 4–manifolds from Khovanov–Rozansky link homology

We use Khovanov-Rozansky gl(N) link homology to define invariants of oriented smooth 4-manifolds, as skein modules constructed from certain 4-categories with well-behaved duals. The technical heart of this construction is a proof of the sweep-around property, which makes these link homologies well defined in the 3-sphere.

Algebra and geometry of link homology: Lecture notes from the IHES 2021 Summer School

AbstractThese notes cover the lectures of the first named author at 2021 IHES Summer School on “Enumerative Geometry, Physics and Representation Theory” with additional details and references. They cover the definition of Khovanov‐Rozansky triply graded homology, its basic properties and recent advances, as well as three algebro‐geometric models for link homology: braid varieties, Hilbert schemes of singular curves and affine Springer fibers, and Hilbert schemes of points on the plane.

Evaluations of annular Khovanov–Rozansky homology

We describe the universal target of annular Khovanov–Rozansky link homology functors as the homotopy category of a free symmetric monoidal linear category generated by one object and one endomorphism. This categorifies the ring of symmetric functions and admits categorical analogues of plethystic transformations, which we use to characterize the annular invariants of Coxeter braids. Further, we prove the existence of symmetric group actions on the Khovanov–Rozansky invariants of cabled tangles and we introduce spectral sequences that aid in computing the homologies of generalized Hopf links. Finally, we conjecture a characterization of the horizontal traces of Rouquier complexes of Coxeter braids in other types.

A quantum categorification of the Alexander polynomial

Using a modified foam evaluation, we give a categorification of the Alexander polynomial of a knot. We also give a purely algebraic version of this knot homology which makes it appear as the infinite page of a spectral sequence starting at the reduced triply graded link homology of Khovanov--Rozansky.

Extremal Khovanov homology and the girth of a knot

We show that Khovanov link homology is trivial in a range of gradings and utilize relations between Khovanov and chromatic graph homology to determine extreme Khovanov groups and corresponding coefficients of the Jones polynomial. The extent to which chromatic homology and the chromatic polynomial can be used to compute integral Khovanov homology of a link depends on the maximal girth of its all-positive graphs. In this paper, we define the girth of a link, discuss relations to other knot invariants, and describe possible values for girth. Analyzing girth leads to a description of possible all-A state graphs of any given link; e.g., if a link has a diagram such that the girth of the corresponding all-A graph is equal to [Formula: see text], then the girth of the link is equal to [Formula: see text]

A scanning algorithm for odd Khovanov homology

We adapt Bar-Natan's scanning algorithm for fast computations in (even) Khovanov homology to odd Khovanov homology. We use a mapping cone construction instead of a tensor product, which allows us to deal efficiently with the more complicated sign assignments in the odd theory. The algorithm has been implemented in a computer program. We also use the algorithm to determine the odd Khovanov homology of 3-strand torus links.

Hilbert schemes and y–ification of Khovanov–Rozansky homology

We define a deformation of the triply graded Khovanov-Rozansky homology of a link $L$ depending on a choice of parameters $y_c$ for each component of $L$, which satisfies link-splitting properties similar to the Batson-Seed invariant. Keeping the $y_c$ as formal variables yields a link homology valued in triply graded modules over $\mathbb{Q}[x_c,y_c]_{c\in \pi_0(L)}$. We conjecture that this invariant restores the missing $Q\leftrightarrow TQ^{-1}$ symmetry of the triply graded Khovanov-Rozansky homology, and in addition satisfies a number of predictions coming from a conjectural connection with Hilbert schemes of points in the plane. We compute this invariant for all positive powers of the full twist and match it to the family of ideals appearing in Haiman's description of the isospectral Hilbert scheme.

On Khovanov Homology of Quasi-Alternating Links

We prove that the length of any gap in the differential grading of the Khovanov homology of any quasi-alternating link is one. As a consequence, we obtain that the length of any gap in the Jones polynomial of any such link is one. This establishes a weaker version of Conjecture 2.3 in (Topol Appl 264:1–11, 2019). Moreover, we obtain a lower bound for the determinant of any such link in terms of the breadth of its Jones polynomial. This establishes a weaker version of Conjecture 3.8 in (Algebr Geom Topol 15:1847–1862, 2015). The main tool in obtaining this result is establishing the Knight Move Conjecture [(Algebr Geom Topol 2:337-370, 2002), Conjecture 1] for the class of quasi-alternating links.

Link homology theories and ribbon concordances

It was recently proved by several authors that ribbon concordances induce injective maps in knot Floer homology, Khovanov homology, and the Heegaard Floer homology of the branched double cover. We give a simple proof of a similar statement in a more general setting, which includes knot Floer homology, Khovanov–Rozansky homologies, and all conic strong Khovanov–Floer theories. This gives a philosophical answer to the question of which aspects of a link TQFT make it injective under ribbon concordances.

Link homology and Frobenius extensions II

The first two sections of the paper provide a convenient scheme and additional diagrammatics for working with Frobenius extensions responsible for key flavors of equivariant SL(2) link homology theories. The goal is to clarify some basic structures in the

On some p-differential graded link homologies

Abstract We show that the triply graded Khovanov–Rozansky homology of knots and links over a field of positive odd characteristic p descends to an invariant in the homotopy category finite-dimensional p-complexes. A p-extended differential on the triply graded homology discovered by Cautis is compatible with the p-DG structure. As a consequence, we get a categorification of the Jones polynomial evaluated at a $2p$ th root of unity.

Khovanov–Lipshitz–Sarkar homotopy type for links in thickened higher genus surfaces

We discuss links in thickened surfaces. We define the Khovanov–Lipshitz–Sarkar stable homotopy type and the Steenrod square for the homotopical Khovanov homology of links in thickened surfaces with genus [Formula: see text]. A surface means a closed oriented surface unless otherwise stated. Of course, a surface may or may not be the sphere. A thickened surface means a product manifold of a surface and the interval. A link in a thickened surface (respectively, a 3-manifold) means a submanifold of a thickened surface (respectively, a 3-manifold) which is diffeomorphic to a disjoint collection of circles. Our Khovanov–Lipshitz–Sarkar stable homotopy type and our Steenrod square of links in thickened surfaces with genus [Formula: see text] are stronger than the homotopical Khovanov homology of links in thickened surfaces with genus [Formula: see text]. It is the first meaningful Khovanov–Lipshitz–Sarkar stable homotopy type of links in 3-manifolds other than the 3-sphere. We point out that our theory has a different feature in the torus case.

Stable homotopy refinement of quantum annular homology

We construct a stable homotopy refinement of quantum annular homology, a link homology theory introduced by Beliakova, Putyra and Wehrli. For each $r\geq ~2$ we associate to an annular link $L$ a naive $\mathbb {Z}/r\mathbb {Z}$ -equivariant spectrum whose cohomology is isomorphic to the quantum annular homology of $L$ as modules over $\mathbb {Z}[\mathbb {Z}/r\mathbb {Z}]$ . The construction relies on an equivariant version of the Burnside category approach of Lawson, Lipshitz and Sarkar. The quotient under the cyclic group action is shown to recover the stable homotopy refinement of annular Khovanov homology. We study spectrum level lifts of structural properties of quantum annular homology.