Moduli Spaces of Flat Connections

Abstract

Using the formalism of discrete quantum group gauge theory, one can construct the quantum algebras of observables for the Hamiltonian Chern-Simons model. The resulting moduli algebras provide quantizations of the algebra of functions on the moduli spaces of flat connections on a punctured 2-dimensional surface. In this note we describe some features of these moduli algebras with special emphasis on the natural action of mapping class groups. This leads, in particular, to a closed formula for representations of the mapping class groups on conformal blocks.