On the complete perturbative solution of one-matrix models

We summarize the recent results about complete solvability of Hermitian and rectangular complex matrix models. Partition functions have very simple character expansions with coefficients made from dimensions of representation of the linear group $GL(N)$, and arbitrary correlators in the Gaussian phase are given by finite sums over Young diagrams of a given size, which involve also the well known characters of symmetric group. The previously known integrability and Virasoro constraints are simple corollaries, but no vice versa: complete solvability is a peculiar property of the matrix model (hypergeometric) $\tau$-functions, which is actually a combination of these two complementary requirements.Comment: 8 page

Eigenvalue hypothesis for multi-strand braids

Computing polynomial form of the colored HOMFLY-PT for non-arborescent knots obtained from three or more strand braids is still an open problem. One of the efficient methods suggested for the three-strand braids relies on the eigenvalue hypothesis which uses the Yang-Baxter equation to express the answer through the eigenvalues of the ${\cal R}$-matrix. In this paper, we generalize the hypothesis to higher number of strands in the braid where commuting relations of non-neighbouring $\mathcal{R}$ matrices are also incorporated. By solving these equations, we determine the explicit form for $\mathcal{R}$-matrices and the inclusive Racah matrices in terms of braiding eigenvalues (for matrices of size up to 6 by 6). For comparison, we briefly discuss the highest weight method for four-strand braids carrying fundamental and symmetric rank two $SU_q(N)$ representation. Specifically, we present all the inclusive Racah matrices for representation $[2]$ and compare with the matrices obtained from eigenvalue hypothesis.Comment: 23 page

Tangle blocks in the theory of link invariants

The central discovery of $2d$ conformal theory was holomorphic factorization, which expressed correlation functions through bilinear combinations of conformal blocks, which are easily cut and joined without a need to sum over the entire huge Hilbert space of states. Somewhat similar, when a link diagram is glued from tangles, the link polynomial is a multilinear combination of {\it tangle blocks} summed over just a few representations of intermediate states. This turns to be a powerful approach because the same tangles appear as constituents of very different knots so that they can be extracted from simpler cases and used in more complicated ones. So far this method has been technically developed only in the case of arborescent knots, but, in fact, it is much more general. We begin a systematic study of tangle blocks by detailed consideration of some archetypical examples, which actually lead to non-trivial results, far beyond the reach of other techniques. At the next level, the tangle calculus is about gluing of tangles, i.e. functorial mappings from ${\rm Hom}({\rm tangles})$, and its main advantage is an explicit realization of multiplicative composition structure, which is partly obscured in traditional knot theory.Comment: 34 page

Quadruply-graded colored homology of knots

We conjecture the existence of four independent gradings in colored HOMFLYPT homology, and make qualitative predictions of various interesting structures and symmetries in the colored homology of arbitrary knots. We propose an explicit conjectural description for the rectangular colored homology of torus knots, and identify the new gradings in this context. While some of these structures have a natural interpretation in the physical realization of knot homologies based on counting supersymmetric configurations (BPS states, instantons, and vortices), others are completely new. They suggest new geometric and physical realizations of colored HOMFLYPT homology as the Hochschild homology of the category of branes in a Landau–Ginzburg B-model or, equivalently, in the mirror A-model. Supergroups and supermanifolds are surprisingly ubiquitous in all aspects of this work

Challenges of beta-deformation

A brief review of problems, arising in the study of the beta-deformation, also known as "refinement", which appears as a central difficult element in a number of related modern subjects: beta \neq 1 is responsible for deviation from free fermions in 2d conformal theories, from symmetric omega-backgrounds with epsilon_2 = - epsilon_1 in instanton sums in 4d SYM theories, from eigenvalue matrix models to beta-ensembles, from HOMFLY to super-polynomials in Chern-Simons theory, from quantum groups to elliptic and hyperbolic algebras etc. The main attention is paid to the context of AGT relation and its possible generalizations.Comment: 20 page