Link homology and categorification

In this paper, we discuss a proof of the isotopy invariance of a parametrized Khovanov link homology including categorifications of the Jones polynomial and the Kauffman bracket polynomial though it is a known fact. In order to present a proof easy-to-follow, we give an explicit description of retractions and chain homotopies between complexes to induce the invariance under isotopy of links. This is a refined version of arXiv: 0907.2104.

We use the machinery of categorified Jones-Wenzl projectors to construct a categorification of a type A Reshetikhin-Turaev invariant of oriented framed tangles where each strand is labeled by an arbitrary finite-dimensional representation. As a special case, we obtain a categorification of the coloured Jones polynomial of links.

We provide various formulations of knot homology that are predicted by string dualities. In addition, we also explain the rich algebraic structure of knot homology which can be understood in terms of geometric representation theory in these formulations. These notes are based on lectures in the workshop "Physics and Mathematics of Link Homology" at Centre de Recherches Mathematiques, Universite de Montreal.

The working mathematician fears complicated words but loves pictures and diagrams. We thus give a no-fancy-anything picture rich glimpse into Khovanov's novel construction of `the categorification of the Jones polynomial'. For the same low cost we also provide some computations, including one that shows that Khovanov's invariant is strictly stronger than the Jones polynomial and including a table of the values of Khovanov's invariant for all prime knots with up to 11 crossing...

In arXiv:2009.06498, a link invariant categorifying the Jones polynomial at a $2p$th root of unity, where $p$ is an odd prime, was constructed. This categorification utilized an $N=2$ specialization of a differential introduced by Cautis. Here we give a family of link homologies where the Cautis differential is specialized to a positive integer of the form $N=kp+2$. When $k$ is even, all these link homologies categorify the Jones polynomial evaluated at a $2p$th root of unity...

We prove a conjecture of Rozansky's concerning his categorification of the tail of the colored Jones polynomial for an $A$-adequate link. We show that the tail homology groups he constructs are trivial for non $A$-adequate links.

The Jones polynomial of an alternating link is a certain specialization of the Tutte polynomial of the (planar) checkerboard graph associated to an alternating projection of the link. The Bollobas-Riordan-Tutte polynomial generalizes the Tutte polynomial of planar graphs to graphs that are embedded in closed oriented surfaces of higher genus. In this paper we show that the Jones polynomial of any link can be obtained from the Bollobas-Riordan-Tutte polynomial of a certain o...

We show a spectral sequence for the rational Khovanov homology of an oriented link in terms of the rational Khovanov complexes and homologies of the link surgeries along an admissible cut. As a non trivial corollary, we give an explicit splitting formula for the Jones polynomial.

For a positive braid link, a link represented as a closed positive braids, we determine the first few coefficients of its HOMFLY polynomial in terms of geometric invariants such as, the maximum euler characteristics, the number of split factors, and the number of prime factors. Our results give improvements of known results for Conway and Jones polynomial of positive braid links. In Appendix, we present a simpler proof of theorem of Cromwell, a positive braid diagram represen...

A link homology is defined that is independent of link diagrams. This diagramless homology is closely related to Khovanov homology.