Non-compact Chern-Simons Theory, Positive Representations, and Cluster Varieties

ongoing

Over the past 30 years, deep connections between Chern–Simons theory, supersymmetric (SUSY) gauge theory, and representation theory of quantum groups, have caused an avalanche of research in mathematics and physics. In this proposal I use quantum cluster varieties to develop positive representation theory of quantum groups and a non-compact analogue of Chern–Simons theory. I also obtain new invariants of links and 3-manifolds, and establish new connections between SUSY gauge theories and quantum character varieties. This proposal builds on my prior work, where I prove fundamental cases of the Fock–Goncharov modular functor conjecture in higher Teichmüller theory, and Gaiotto’s conjecture on the existence of cluster structure on K-theoretic Coulomb branches of 3d N = 4 SUSY gauge theories. The proposal is split into the following four projects: 1. Prove the modular functor conjecture and extend it to a non-compact analogue of Chern–Simons theory. Obtain new powerful invariants of links and 3-manifolds. 2. Develop positive representation theory: construct continuous braided monoidal category from positive representations, prove non-compact Peter–Weyl theorem, obtain explicit formulas for finite-dimensional 6j-symbols, prove that the category of positive representations of quantum groups in type A is equivalent to a fusion category in Toda conformal field theory. 3. Describe cluster structure on K-theoretic Coulomb branches of 3d N = 4 SUSY gauge theories, conjectured by Gaiotto. Obtain cluster structure on spherical double affine Hecke algebra, and Slodowy intersections. Provide an algorithm, identifying certain theories of class S with quiver gauge theories. 4. Relate cluster quantization of character varieties with the topological quantum field theory constructed by Ben-Zvi, Brochier, and Jordan. Use it to obtain a canonical quantization of the A-polynomial.