Skeins, SU(N) three-manifold invariants and TQFT

Abstract

The skein theory associated to the HOMFLY polynomial invariant of oriented knots and links in the three-sphere is explored in order to provide the background results necessary for the creation of a Topological Quantum Field Theory. A simple local duality result in the skein theory is proved. It allows vector space dimensions in the theory to be correlated with the structure constants in a skein algebra associated to the solid torus.