Kadar–Yu Algebras: A Diagrammatic Framework
- Kadar–Yu algebras are a family of diagrammatic algebras that interpolate between Temperley–Lieb and Brauer algebras by imposing a left-height constraint on Brauer diagrams.
- They are generated by Temperley–Lieb and symmetric group elements, using diagrammatic multiplications and mixed relations to capture rich representation-theoretic structures.
- Their structure features iterated inflation, Chebyshev-type recurrence relations, and ties to Kazhdan–Lusztig theory and alcove geometry, unifying semisimple and non-semisimple phenomena.
The Kadar–Yu (KY) algebras form a distinguished tower of diagrammatic algebras interpolating between the Temperley–Lieb and Brauer algebras. Parameterized by a non-negative integer and a parameter or from the base field (typically or an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero), these algebras arise as endomorphism algebras in certain monoidal subcategories of the Brauer category. The structure and representation theory of KY algebras intertwine combinatorial, diagrammatic, and homological techniques, connecting directly to Kazhdan–Lusztig theory and alcove geometry, and generalizing classical semisimplicity paradigms through a family of generalized Chebyshev recurrences. Their study unifies a spectrum of algebraic and combinatorial objects, controlling both semisimple and non-semisimple phenomena.
1. Definition and Diagrammatic Presentation
Let (or ) and a unital commutative ring (often a field). The Brauer algebra , parameterized by 0, has as basis the set of 1 Brauer diagrams: pairings of 2 points, with multiplication realized diagrammatically by vertical concatenation and with a factor of 3 for each closed loop formed. The Kadar–Yu algebra 4 is defined as the span of those Brauer diagrams whose "left-height" does not exceed 5, where left-height is the maximum, over all crossing points, of the minimal number of lines crossed from the face to the left boundary. This subspace is closed under multiplication, hence defines a subalgebra.
Algebraically, 6 is generated by:
- Temperley–Lieb generators 7 8 satisfying the standard Temperley–Lieb relations:
- 9,
- 0,
- 1 for 2.
- Symmetric group generators 3 4 satisfying Coxeter relations:
- 5,
- 6,
- 7 for 8.
- Mixed relations reflecting that 9 acts on the first 0 propagating lines:
- 1 unless 2,
- 3 4,
- 5 for 6.
Boundary cases: 7 is the Temperley–Lieb algebra, and 8 the full Brauer algebra. These algebras thus interpolate between Temperley–Lieb and Brauer as 9 varies.
2. Iterated Inflation Structure and Tower of Recollement
KY algebras naturally admit a tower structure as 0. Each algebra admits a filtration
1
where 2 is the span of diagrams with at most 3 propagating lines. The successive quotients satisfy
4
with 5 and 6 the space of upper half-diagrams of appropriate left-height with 7 propagating lines. This realizes 8 as an iterated inflation algebra, successively inflating symmetric group algebras 9 by these diagram modules.
This tower structure satisfies the six axioms (A1–A6) of Cox–Martin–Parker–Xi (CMPX), defining a "tower of recollement" (ToR):
- (A1) Localisation by idempotents reduces 0 to 1.
- (A2) Quasi-heredity with explicit heredity chains.
- (A3) Embedding into algebras of higher 2 by adding strands.
- (A4) Bimodule isomorphisms relating 3 via idempotents to bimodules over 4.
- (A5) Restriction of cell modules admits a filtration supported on 5.
- (A6) Each simple appears as a subfactor of a restriction from higher rank.
This realizes KY algebras as a ToR in the sense of [Cox–Martin–Parker–Xi, 2006] and controls the homological and cellular structure of representations (Alraddadi et al., 2024).
3. Standard Modules, Gram Determinants, and the Chebyshev Paradigm
Standard (cell) modules 6 of 7 are indexed by pairs 8 where 9, 0 even, and 1. The construction involves a primitive idempotent in 2 and the diagrammatic module 3, modulo diagrams with 4 propagating lines. For 5, the head standard module 6 coincides with the Specht module 7.
Cell modules admit a 8-contravariant bilinear form (where 9 reverses diagrams). The Gram determinant 0 can be computed in terms of 1 or 2, and for the important family 3, these determinants satisfy a Chebyshev recurrence:
4
Each partition 5 yields a monic polynomial 6 and reduced Chebyshev-type series 7, such that for 8,
9
For example, for 0 (Temperley–Lieb), 1 recovers the Chebyshev 2-polynomials, while for large 3 (Brauer), the determinants correspond to hook-length products (Morris et al., 31 Dec 2025).
Low-rank cases demonstrate the roles of partitions and the combinatorics of standard modules:
- 4: 5, each with explicit 6 and Chebyshev-series 7.
- 8: 9 runs over all partitions of 0; similar explicit determinants arise.
4. Semisimplicity and Non-Semisimple Representation Theory
The semisimplicity of 1 over 2 is controlled by the Gram determinants. If 3, all 4 for all 5, so the algebra is semisimple. In this regime, every cell module is simple, labeled by 6 as above, and the regular module decomposes accordingly:
7
For real 8 or specializations of 9 (e.g., roots of the associated Chebyshev series), the algebras may fail to be semisimple. At each vanishing determinant (a root 00 of some 01), there exists a non-split map between standard modules, controlled by explicit "bootstrap" elements 02. The structure of non-semisimple blocks, submodules, composition series, and socles is deterministic, exhibiting direct links to alcove geometry and representation-theoretic walls.
The general pattern in the non-semisimple case is controlled by the interplay between the tower functors (localisation and globalisation in the ToR) and the stratification of the module category via the Chebyshev determinants (Morris et al., 31 Dec 2025).
5. Alcove Geometry, Combinatorics, and the Bratteli/Rollet Graphs
KY algebras' module categories demonstrate a pronounced alcove-geometric structure. The indexing set 03 organizes into the Rollet (projected Bratteli) graph, projecting the ordinary Bratteli diagram by omitting certain diagrammatic features ("04-strands"). The head comprises partitions of size at most 05, from which arms emanate corresponding to larger 06.
This labeling system can be embedded into 07 as the 08-skeleton of a finite or affine Weyl alcove tessellation. For 09 (Temperley–Lieb), the set is one-dimensional and semisimplicity corresponds to the non-vanishing of a parameter outside the quantum-group root-of-unity locus 10. For higher 11, the complexity escalates to higher-rank affine Weyl group reflection hyperplanes.
Non-semisimplicity loci (roots of Chebyshev series) correspond to reflection hyperplanes in 12-space; the combinatorics of add/remove box moves on partitions (Young lattice) realize the percolation of submodules and the precise positioning of module filtrations. Exact sequences and composition factor structures are thus articulated geometrically (Morris et al., 31 Dec 2025).
6. Connections, Physical Motivation, and Low-Rank Examples
Kadar–Yu algebras are physically motivated as deformations and extensions of symmetric group and Temperley–Lieb representation theory in the setting of statistical mechanics, integrable models, and categorical constructions. They interpolate between Catalan (Temperley–Lieb) and double-factorial (Brauer) combinatorics, further connecting to Kazhdan–Lusztig theory via the interplay between cellular, quasi-hereditary, and topos-theoretic frameworks.
Low-rank instances explicitly demonstrate how the intermediate algebras possess richer representation theory than either extreme:
- For 13, 14, simples are
- 15 (dim 16),
- 17 (dim 18),
- 19 (dim 20),
- giving 21 for non-real 22.
The passage from 23 to 24 recovers the interpolation between Temperley–Lieb and Brauer from both diagrammatic and representation-theoretic standpoints, always controlled by the relevant determinant formulas and alcove geometry.
7. Summary Table: Special Cases
| 25 | Algebra | Description | Semisimplicity Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Temperley–Lieb | No 27 generators | 28 |
| 29 | "Rook–Brauer"/boundary-TL | First additional crossings | Non-real 30; 31 |
| 32 | Brauer | Full diagram algebra | Non-real 33 |
Failures of semisimplicity correspond to roots of specialized Chebyshev polynomials 34 and yield non-trivial homological and combinatorial phenomena.
Kadar–Yu algebras thus constitute a unifying and tractable family of diagrammatic algebras, whose module-theoretic and combinatorial properties capture a broad interpolation between well-understood classical examples, regulated by generalizations of the Chebyshev recurrence and alcove geometric framework (Alraddadi et al., 2024, Morris et al., 31 Dec 2025).