Narrow Results

We consider a class of bimodules over polynomial algebras which were originally introduced by Soergel in relation to the Kazhdan–Lusztig theory, and which describe a direct summand of the category of Harish–Chandra modules for sl(n). Rouquier used Soergel bimodules to construct a braid group action on the homotopy category of complexes of modules over a polynomial algebra. We apply Hochschild homology to Rouquier's complexes and produce triply-graded homology groups associated to a braid. These groups turn out to be isomorphic to the groups previously defined by Lev Rozansky and the author, which depend, up to isomorphism and overall shift, only on the closure of the braid. Consequently, our construction produces a homology theory for links.

We give an alternative presentation of Khovanov homology of links. The original construction rests on the Kauffman bracket model for the Jones polynomial, and the generators for the complex are enhanced Kauffman states. Here we use an oriented sl(2) state model allowing a natural definition of the boundary operator as twisted action of morphisms belonging to a TQFT for trivalent graphs and surfaces. Functoriality in original Khovanov homology holds up to sign. Variants of Khovanov homology fixing functoriality were obtained by Clark–Morrison–Walker [7] and also by Caprau [6]. Our construction is similar to those variants. Here we work over integers, while the previous constructions were over gaussian integers.

We show that Rasmussen's invariant of knots, which is derived from Lee's variant of Khovanov homology, is equal to an analogous invariant derived from certain other filtered link homologies.

We investigate Bar-Natan's characteristic two Khovanov link homology theory studying both the filtered and bi-graded theories. The filtered theory is computed explicitly and the bi-graded theory analysed by setting up a family of spectral sequences. The E₂-pages can be described in terms of groups arising from the action of a certain endomorphism on 𝔽₂-Khovanov homology. Some simple consequences are discussed.

We use a special kind of 2-dimensional extended Topological Quantum Field Theories (TQFTs), so-called open-closed TQFTs, in order to represent a refinement of Bar-Natan's universal geometric complex algebraically, and thereby extend Khovanov homology from links to arbitrary tangles. For every plane diagram of an oriented tangle, we construct a chain complex whose terms are modules of a suitable algebra A such that there is one action of A or A^op for every boundary point of the tangle. We give examples of such algebras A for which our tangle homology theory reduces to the link homology theories of Khovanov, Lee and Bar-Natan if it is evaluated for links. As a consequence of the Cardy condition, Khovanov's graded theory can only be extended to tangles if the underlying field has finite characteristic. Whenever the open-closed TQFT arises from a state-sum construction, we obtain honest planar algebra morphisms, and all composition properties of the universal geometric complex carry over to the algebraic complex. We give examples of state-sum open-closed TQFTs for which one can still determine both characteristic p Khovanov homology of links and Rasmussen's s-invariant.

We show that over the binary field ${𝔽}_2$, the Bar-Natan perturbation of Khovanov homology splits as the direct sum of its two reduced theories, which we also prove are isomorphic. This extends Shumakovitch’s analogous result for ordinary Khovanov homology, without the perturbation.

These five lectures — written for a summer school in 2006 — provide an introduction to Khovanov homology covering the basic definitions, important properties, a number of variants and some applications. At the end of each lecture the reader is referred to the relevant literature for further reading.

We construct an equivariant version of annular Khovanov homology via the Frobenius algebra associated with $U(1)\times U(1)$-equivariant cohomology of ${ℂ\mathbb{P}}^1$. Motivated by the relationship between the Temperley–Lieb algebra and annular Khovanov homology, we also introduce an equivariant analog of the Temperley–Lieb algebra.