Introduction to Quantum Groups

According to Drinfeld, a quantum group is the same as a Hopf algebra. This includes as special cases, the algebra of regular functions on an algebraic group and the enveloping algebra of a semisimple Lie algebra. The qu- tum groups discussed in this book are the quantized enveloping algebras introduced by Drinfeld and Jimbo in 1985, or variations thereof. Although such quantum groups appeared in connection with problems in statistical mechanics and are closely related to conformal field theory and knot theory, we will regard them purely as a new development in Lie theory. Their place in Lie theory is as follows. Among Lie groups and Lie algebras (whose theory was initiated by Lie more than a hundred years ago) the most important and interesting ones are the semisimple ones. They were classified by E. Cartan and Killing around 1890 and are quite central in today's mathematics. The work of Chevalley in the 1950s showed that semisimple groups can be defined over arbitrary fields (including finite ones) and even over integers. Although semisimple Lie algebras cannot be deformed in a non-trivial way, the work of Drinfeld and Jimbo showed that their enveloping (Hopf) algebras admit a rather interesting deformation depending on a parameter v. These are the quantized enveloping algebras of Drinfeld and Jimbo. The classical enveloping algebras could be obtained from them for v ―» 1.

The quantum groups discussed in this book are the quantized enveloping algebras introduced by Drinfeld and Jimbo in 1985, or variations thereof. It is shown that these algebras have natural integral forms that can be specialized at roots of 1 and yield new objects, which include quantum versions of the semi-simple groups over fields of positive characteristic. The theory of quantum groups has led to a new, extremely rigid structure, in which the objects of the theory are provided with canonical bases having rather remarkable properties. This book contains an extensive treatment of the theory of canonical bases in the framework of perverse sheaves. The theory developed in the book includes the case of quantum affine enveloping algebras and, more generally, the quantum analogs of the Kac–Moody Lie algebras.

Introduction to Quantum Groups will be of interest to mathematicians working in the representation theory of Lie groups and Lie algebras, knot theorists, theoretical physicists, and graduate students. Since large parts of the book are independent of the theory of perverse sheaves, the work may also be used as a textbook.

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There is no doubt that this volume is a very remarkable piece of work...Its appearance represents a landmark in the mathematical literature.

―Bulletin of the London Mathematical Society

This book is an important contribution to the field and can be recommended especially to mathematicians working in the field.

―EMS Newsletter

The present book gives a very efficient presentation of an important part of quantum group theory. It is a valuable contribution to the literature.

―Mededelingen van het Wiskundig

Lusztig's book is very well written and seems to be flawless...Obviously, this will be the standard reference book for the material presented and anyone interested in the Drinfeld–Jimboalgebras will have to study it very carefully.

―ZAA

[T]his book is much more than an 'introduction to quantum groups.' It contains a wealth of material. In addition to the many important results (of which several are new–at least in the generality presented here), there are plenty of useful calculations (commutator formulas, generalized quantum Serre relations, etc.).

―Zentralblatt MATH