*-Structures on Braided Spaces

$*$-structures on quantum and braided spaces of the type defined via an R-matrix are studied. These include $q$-Minkowski and $q$-Euclidean spaces as additive braided groups. The duality between the $*$-braided groups of vectors and covectors is proved and some first applications to braided geometry are made.Comment: 20 page

Braided Geometry of the Conformal Algebra

We show that the action of the special conformal transformations of the usual (undeformed) conformal group is the $q\to 1$ scaling limit of the braided adjoint action or $R$-commutator of $q$-Minkowski space on itself. We also describe the $q$-deformed conformal algebra in $R$-matrix form and its quasi-$*$ structure.Comment: 22 pages LATEX -- corrected some typos and explicated some formulae in Section~5 -- nothing essentia

Quantum and Braided Linear Algebra

Quantum matrices $A(R)$ are known for every $R$ matrix obeying the Quantum Yang-Baxter Equations. It is also known that these act on `vectors' given by the corresponding Zamalodchikov algebra. We develop this interpretation in detail, distinguishing between two forms of this algebra, $V(R)$ (vectors) and $V^*(R)$ (covectors). A(R)\to V(R_{21})\tens V^*(R) is an algebra homomorphism (i.e. quantum matrices are realized by the tensor product of a quantum vector with a quantum covector), while the inner product of a quantum covector with a quantum vector transforms as a scaler. We show that if $V(R)$ and $V^*(R)$ are endowed with the necessary braid statistics $\Psi$ then their braided tensor-product V(R)\und\tens V^*(R) is a realization of the braided matrices $B(R)$ introduced previously, while their inner product leads to an invariant quantum trace. Introducing braid statistics in this way leads to a fully covariant quantum (braided) linear algebra. The braided groups obtained from $B(R)$ act on themselves by conjugation in a way impossible for the quantum groups obtained from $A(R)$.Comment: 27 page

q-Euclidean space and quantum group wick rotation by twisting

We study the quantum matrix algebra $R_{21}x_1x_2=x_2x_1 R$ and for the standard $2\times 2$ case propose it for the co-ordinates of $q$-deformed Euclidean space. The algebra in this simplest case is isomorphic to the usual quantum matrices $M_q(2)$ but in a form which is naturally covariant under the Euclidean rotations $SU_q(2)\otimes SU_q(2)$. We also introduce a quantum Wick rotation that twists this system precisely into the approach to $q$-Minkowski space based on braided-matrices and their associated spinorial $q$-Lorentz group.Comment: 16 page

Braided Hopf Algebras and Differential Calculus

We show that the algebra of the bicovariant differential calculus on a quantum group can be understood as a projection of the cross product between a braided Hopf algebra and the quantum double of the quantum group. The resulting super-Hopf algebra can be reproduced by extending the exterior derivative to tensor products.Comment: 8 page

Algebraic {qq}-Integration and Fourier Theory on Quantum and Braided Spaces

We introduce an algebraic theory of integration on quantum planes and other braided spaces. In the one dimensional case we obtain a novel picture of the Jackson $q$-integral as indefinite integration on the braided group of functions in one variable $x$. Here $x$ is treated with braid statistics $q$ rather than the usual bosonic or Grassmann ones. We show that the definite integral $\int x$ can also be evaluated algebraically as multiples of the integral of a $q$-Gaussian, with $x$ remaining as a bosonic scaling variable associated with the $q$-deformation. Further composing our algebraic integration with a representation then leads to ordinary numbers for the integral. We also use our integration to develop a full theory of $q$-Fourier transformation $F$. We use the braided addition $\Delta x=x\otimes 1+1\otimes x$ and braided-antipode $S$ to define a convolution product, and prove a convolution theorem. We prove also that $F^2=S$. We prove the analogous results on any braided group, including integration and Fourier transformation on quantum planes associated to general R-matrices, including $q$-Euclidean and $q$-Minkowski spaces.Comment: 50 pages. Minor changes, added 3 reference

Braided Momentum Structure of the q-Poincare Group

The $q$-Poincar\'e group of \cite{SWW:inh} is shown to have the structure of a semidirect product and coproduct B\cocross \widetilde{SO_q(1,3)} where $B$ is a braided-quantum group structure on the $q$-Minkowski space of 4-momentum with braided-coproduct \und\Delta \vecp=\vecp\tens 1+1\tens \vecp. Here the necessary $B$ is not a usual kind of quantum group, but one with braid statistics. Similar braided-vectors and covectors $V(R')$, $V^*(R')$ exist for a general R-matrix. The abstract structure of the $q$-Lorentz group is also studied.Comment: 22 pages, LATE

Quantum Field Theory with Nonzero Minimal Uncertainties in Positions and Momenta

A noncommutative geometric generalisation of the quantum field theoretical framework is developed by generalising the Heisenberg commutation relations. There appear nonzero minimal uncertainties in positions and in momenta. As the main result it is shown with the example of a quadratically ultraviolet divergent graph in $\phi^4$ theory that nonzero minimal uncertainties in positions do have the power to regularise. These studies are motivated with the ansatz that nonzero minimal uncertainties in positions and in momenta arise from gravity. Algebraic techniques are used that have been developed in the field of quantum groups.Comment: 52 pages LATEX, DAMTP/93-33. Revised version now includes a chapter on the Poincare algebra and curvature as noncommutativity of momentum spac

Some Remarks on Producing Hopf Algebras

We report some observations concerning two well-known approaches to construction of quantum groups. Thus, starting from a bialgebra of inhomogeneous type and imposing quadratic, cubic or quartic commutation relations on a subset of its generators we come, in each case, to a q-deformed universal enveloping algebra of a certain simple Lie algebra. An interesting correlation between the order of initial commutation relations and the Cartan matrix of the resulting algebra is observed. Another example demonstrates that the bialgebra structure of sl_q(2) can be completely determined by requiring the q-oscillator algebra to be its covariant comodule, in analogy with Manin's approach to define SL_q(2) as a symmetry algebra of the bosonic and fermionic quantum planes.Comment: 6 pages, LATEX, no figures, Contribution to the Proceedings of the 4th Colloquium "Quantum Groups and Integrable Systems" (Prague, June 1995

A Class of Bicovariant Differential Calculi on Hopf Algebras

We introduce a large class of bicovariant differential calculi on any quantum group $A$, associated to $Ad$-invariant elements. For example, the deformed trace element on $SL_q(2)$ recovers Woronowicz' $4D_\pm$ calculus. More generally, we obtain a sequence of differential calculi on each quantum group $A(R)$, based on the theory of the corresponding braided groups $B(R)$. Here $R$ is any regular solution of the QYBE.Comment: 16 page