Spiders and Generalized Confluence

Abstract

Given a semisimple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$, we can represent invariants of tensor products of fundamental representations of the quantum enveloping algebra $U_q(\mathfrak{g})$ using particular directed graphs called webs. In particular webs are trivalent graphs (with leaves) whose edges are labeled by fundamental representations. Picking generating morphisms and relators we can construct a presentation of the representation category. We examine the properties of this presentation in the case of rank $3$ spiders and certain higher rank non-simple spiders. In particular, we prove a PBW-type theorem in the case of $\mathfrak{sl}_4$, $(\mathfrak{sl}_2)^n$, and $\mathfrak{sl}_2 \oplus \mathfrak{sl}_3$ and also give counterexamples showing that no such result is true in the case of $(\mathfrak{sl}_2)^2 \oplus \mathfrak{sl}_3$ and $\mathfrak{sl}_3 \oplus \mathfrak{sl}_3$. Nevertheless we rephrase the PBW-type theorem as a degeneration of a particular spectral sequence, and prove that this spectral sequence converges on the second page for $(\mathfrak{sl}_2)^n \oplus \mathfrak{sl}_3$, giving generalized and weaker form of confluence. We then apply the above results to the geometry of the Euclidean building in the case of $\mathfrak{sl}_4$ and $(\mathfrak{sl}_2)^n$. In particular, we prove an upper triangularity result with respect to the geometric Satake basis for $\mathfrak{sl}_4$, improving the results of Fontaine in \cite{fontaine:generating}. Finally we give a geometric interpretation of webs as minimal combinatorial disks in the Euclidean building, reinterpreting many of the combinatorial results of paper in geometric terms.