q-Euclidean space and quantum group wick rotation by twisting

Abstract

We study the quantum matrix algebra $R_{21}x_1x_2=x_2x_1 R$ and for the standard $2\times 2$ case propose it for the co-ordinates of $q$-deformed Euclidean space. The algebra in this simplest case is isomorphic to the usual quantum matrices $M_q(2)$ but in a form which is naturally covariant under the Euclidean rotations $SU_q(2)\otimes SU_q(2)$. We also introduce a quantum Wick rotation that twists this system precisely into the approach to $q$-Minkowski space based on braided-matrices and their associated spinorial $q$-Lorentz group.