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Categorified sl_N spiders and Sym^n-projectors

Algebra & Discrete Mathematics

Speaker: Matt Hogancamp, U Indiana
Location: 1147 MSB
Start time: Fri, Feb 19 2016, 1:10PM

The sl_N ``spider'' (a notion introduced by Greg Kuperberg) is a diagrammatically defined category whose idempotent completion is equivalent to the category of finite dimensional representations of sl_N (or rather, the associated quantum group). Primitive idempotents in the spider play the role of irreducuble representations. Of particular importance are the ``generalized Jones-Wenzl projectors,'' which are projections onto the symmetric powers of the fundamental representation. In this expository talk I will describe a categorification of sl_N spider, and I will discuss how the generalized Jones-Wenzl projectors are categorified by certain infinite chain complexes. The categorified projections posses a lot of interesting structure, and can be used to defined colored link homology theories.

Note the special day /extra A&DM seminar this week. Hogancamp is in town Feb18-22.