Compatibility of quantum trace and UV-IR maps

Abstract

This paper studies the connection between the quantum trace map -- which maps the $\mathfrak{sl}_2$-skein module to the quantum Teichm\"uller space for surfaces and to the quantum gluing module for 3-manifolds -- and the quantum UV-IR map -- which maps the $\mathfrak{gl}_2$-skein module to the $\mathfrak{gl}_1$-skein module of the branched double cover. We show that the two maps are compatible in a precise sense, and that the compatibility map is natural under changes of triangulation; for surfaces, this resolves a conjecture of Neitzke and Yan. As a corollary, under a mild hypothesis on the 3-manifold, the quantum trace map can be recovered from the quantum UV-IR map, hence providing yet another construction of the recently introduced 3d quantum trace map.