Smallness problem for quantum affine algebras and quiver varieties

The geometric small property (Borho-MacPherson) of projective morphisms implies a description of their singularities in terms of intersection homology. In this paper we solve the smallness problem raised by Nakajima (math.QA/0105173) for certain resolutions of quiver varieties (analogs of the Springer resolution) : for Kirillov-Reshetikhin modules of simply-laced quantum affine algebras, we characterize explicitly the Drinfeld polynomials corresponding to the small resolutions. We use an elimination theorem for monomials of Frenkel-Reshetikhin q-characters that we establish for non necessarily simply-laced quantum affine algebras. We also refine results of (math.QA/0501202) and extend the main result to general simply-laced quantum affinizations, in particular to quantum toroidal algebras (double affine quantum algebras).Comment: 33 pages; accepted for publication in Annales Scientifiques de l'Ecole Normale Superieur

Advances in R-matrices and their applications (after Maulik-Okounkov, Kang-Kashiwara-Kim-Oh,...)

R-matrices are the solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation. At the origin of the quantum group theory, they may be interpreted as intertwining operators. Recent advances have been made independently in different directions. Maulik-Okounkov have given a geometric approach to R-matrices with new tools in symplectic geometry, the stable envelopes. Kang-Kashiwara-Kim-Oh proved a conjecture on the categorification of cluster algebras by using R-matrices in a crucial way. Eventually, a better understanding of the action of transfer-matrices obtained from R-matrices led to the proof of several conjectures about the corresponding quantum integrable systems.Comment: This is an English translation of the Bourbaki seminar 1129 (March 2017). The French version will appear in Ast\'erisqu

Quantum toroidal algebras and their representations

Quantum toroidal algebras (or double affine quantum algebras) are defined from quantum affine Kac-Moody algebras by using the Drinfeld quantum affinization process. They are quantum groups analogs of elliptic Cherednik algebras (elliptic double affine Hecke algebras) to whom they are related via Schur-Weyl duality. In this review paper, we give a glimpse on some aspects of their very rich representation theory in the context of general quantum affinizations. We illustrate with several examples. We also announce new results and explain possible further developments, in particular on finite dimensional representations at roots of unity.Comment: 24 pages. To appear in Selecta Mathematic

Algebraic Approach to q,t-Characters

Frenkel and Reshetikhin introduced q-characters to study finite dimensional representations of quantum affine algebras. In the simply laced case Nakajima defined deformations of q-characters called q,t-characters. The definition is combinatorial but the proof of the existence uses the geometric theory of quiver varieties which holds only in the simply laced case. In this article we propose an algebraic general (non necessarily simply laced) new approach to q,t-characters motivated by our deformed screening operators. The t-deformations are naturally deduced from the structure of the quantum affine algebra: the parameter t is analog to the central charge c. The q,t-characters lead to the construction of a quantization of the Grothendieck ring and to general analogues of Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials in the same spirit as Nakajima did for the simply laced case.Comment: 46 pages; accepted for publication in Advances in Mathematic