Quantum braid Floer homology
arXiv:2601.08805
Abstract
Given a braid whose closure is a knot, we associate to it a doubly pointed Heegaard diagram with additional marked points that we call a quantum Heegaard diagram. This is obtained by surgery from the unified intersection model for the Alexander and Jones polynomials due to the first author. By translating the Alexander and quantum gradings from the disc model to the Heegaard diagram, we obtain a bifiltration on the hat knot Floer complex. The degree- component of the differential with respect to this bifiltration defines a triply graded invariant of the braid that we call quantum braid Floer homology. It is generally not invariant under Markov conjugation or stabilisation. It contains a distinguished non-zero element, and admits a spectral sequence to knot Floer homology. Furthermore, its graded Euler characteristic is a two-variable polynomial that specialises to the Alexander and Jones polynomials.
52 pages, 10 figures. Substantially expanded version. New title. Fixed Jones polynomial formula. We define quantum braid Floer homology, construct a spectral sequence to knot Floer homology, define a distinguished class, and add examples