The odd nilHecke algebra and its diagrammatics

We introduce an odd version of the nilHecke algebra and develop an odd analogue of the thick diagrammatic calculus for nilHecke algebras. We graphically describe idempotents which give a Morita equivalence between odd nilHecke algebras and the rings of odd symmetric functions in finitely many variables. Cyclotomic quotients of odd nilHecke algebras are Morita equivalent to rings which are odd analogues of the cohomology rings of Grassmannians. Like their even counterparts, odd nilHecke algebras categorify the positive half of quantum sl(2).Comment: 48 pages, eps and xypic diagram

A Prehistory of n-Categorical Physics

This paper traces the growing role of categories and n-categories in physics, starting with groups and their role in relativity, and leading up to more sophisticated concepts which manifest themselves in Feynman diagrams, spin networks, string theory, loop quantum gravity, and topological quantum field theory. Our chronology ends around 2000, with just a taste of later developments such as open-closed topological string theory, the categorification of quantum groups, Khovanov homology, and Lurie's work on the classification of topological quantum field theories.Comment: 129 pages, 8 eps figure

Categorified sl(N) invariants of colored rational tangles

We use categorical skew Howe duality to find recursion rules that compute categorified sl(N) invariants of rational tangles colored by exterior powers of the standard representation. Further, we offer a geometric interpretation of these rules which suggests a connection to Floer theory. Along the way we make progress towards two conjectures about the colored HOMFLY homology of rational links.Comment: 45 pages, many figures, uses dcpic.sty, v2: minor changes and new example 5

A diagrammatic approach to categorification of quantum groups III

We categorify the idempotented form of quantum sl(n).Comment: 88 pages, LaTeX2e with xypic and pstricks macros, 3 eps file

Cyclicity for categorified quantum groups

We equip the categorified quantum group attached to a KLR algebra and an arbitrary choice of scalars with duality functor which is cyclic, that is, such that f=f^** for all 2-morphisms f. This is accomplished via a modified diagrammatic formalism.Comment: 12 pages, xy-pic diagram