Kick-off event: AI and the future of mathematics and physics - 21.10.2026
In light of recent developments, the incoming kick-off event at the Institut Henri Poincaré will take the form of a debate gathering mathematicians and theoretical physicists around the role of AI in the practice of research. More information will come soon.
Universal link inviariant via configuration spaces
byCristina Anghel
Abstract:Coloured Jones and Alexander polynomials are quantum invariants originating in representation theory and their geometric information is an important open problem in quantum topology. We present a new topological perspective that unifies these invariants through the topology of configuration spaces. First, for a fixed N, we define new link invariants: “N th Unified Jones invariant” and “N th Unified Alexander invariant” globalising all coloured Jones and ADO link polynomials of (multi)-colours bounded by N. Asymptotically, Habiro defined his universal knot invariant globalising coloured Jones polynomials by introducing the Habiro ring. For the link case, such globalisation remained open for both sequences of invariants.
We answer this problem coming from representation theory using topological tools. On the representation theory side we define extensions of Habiro type rings. On the topological side, we construct a universal Jones link invariant and a universal Alexander link invariant. Putting these together, our universal invariants of geometrical nature take values in the extended Habiro rings that we construct