The Askey–Wilson algebra and its avatars

Abstract

Abstract The original Askey–Wilson algebra introduced by Zhedanov encodes the bispectrality properties of the eponym polynomials. The name Askey–Wilson algebra is currently used to refer to a variety of related structures that appear in a large number of contexts. We review these versions, sort them out and establish the relations between them. We focus on two specific avatars. The first is a quotient of the original Zhedanov algebra; it is shown to be invariant under the Weyl group of type D 4 and to have a reflection algebra presentation. The second is a universal analogue of the first one; it is isomorphic to the Kauffman bracket skein algebra (KBSA) of the four-punctured sphere and to a subalgebra of the universal double affine Hecke algebra ( C 1 ∨ , C 1 ) . This second algebra emerges from the Racah problem of U q ( s l 2 ) and is related via an injective homomorphism to the centralizer of U q ( s l 2 ) in its threefold tensor product. How the Artin braid group acts on the incarnations of this second avatar through conjugation by R-matrices (in the Racah problem) or half Dehn twists (in the diagrammatic KBSA picture) is also highlighted. Attempts at defining higher rank Askey–Wilson algebras are briefly discussed and summarized in a diagrammatic fashion.