The classical-limit conjecture for the augmentation ideal

Let LL be a link, let Iq(L)I_q(L) be the ideal of quantum relations annihilating the distinguished class [L][L], let Iq(L)I_q'(L) be the annihilator of its evaluation in antisymmetric colored HOMFLYPT polynomials, and let I(L)I(L) be the base change of Iq(L)I_q(L) to q=1q=1. Let AuL\mathsf{Au}_L be the augmentation ideal of LL, whose vanishing set lies in (C×)2r(\mathbb{C}^{\times})^{2r}. Augmentation-ideal conjecture. For every link LL,

Iq(L)=Iq(L),I(L)=AuL.I_q(L)=I_q'(L),\qquad I(L)=\mathsf{Au}_L.

Equivalently, AuL\mathsf{Au}_L is the classical limit of the ideal defining recursion relations for antisymmetric HOMFLYPT polynomials; in particular, its vanishing set is Lagrangian in (C×)2r(\mathbb{C}^{\times})^{2r}. The text explains that this would follow from the vanishing of a connecting homomorphism together with the evaluation conjecture, but does not establish it.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Ben Webster and Meri Zaimi, “Knot contact homology as a planar limit of Chern-Simons theory”, arXiv:2602.12404 (2026).

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