We study the tensor product decomposition of the split real quantum group Uqq~(sl(2,R)) from the perspective of finite dimensional representation theory of compact quantum groups. It is known that the class of positive representations of Uqq~(sl(2,R)) is closed under taking tensor product. In this paper, we show that one can derive the corresponding Hilbert space decomposition, given explicitly by quantum dilogarithm transformations, from the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients of the tensor product decomposition of finite dimensional representations of the compact quantum group Uq(sl2) by solving certain functional equations and using normalization arising from tensor products of canonical basis. We propose a general strategy to deal with the tensor product decomposition for the higher rank split real quantum group Uqq~(gR)

We study the positive representations Pλ of split real quantum groups Uqq (gℝ) restricted to the Borel subalgebra Uqq (bℝ). We prove that the restriction is independent of the parameter λ. Furthermore, we prove that it can be constructed from the GNS-representation of the multiplier Hopf algebra UqqC ∗ (b ℝ) defined earlier, which allows us to decompose their tensor product using the theory of the “multiplicative unitary”. In particular, the quantum mutation operator can be constructed from the multiplicity module, which will be an essential ingredient in the construction of quantum higher Teichmüller theory from the perspective of representation theory, generalizing earlier work by Frenkel-Kim.

The universal R operator for the positive representations of split real quantum groups is computed, generalizing the formula of compact quantum groups forumla by Kirillov–Reshetikhin and Levendorskiĭ–Soibelman, and the formula in the case of forumla by Faddeev, Kashaev, and Bytsko-Teschner. Several new functional relations of the quantum dilogarithm are obtained, generalizing the quantum exponential relations and the pentagon relations. The quantum Weyl element and Lusztig's isomorphism in the positive setting are also studied in detail. Finally, we introduce a C*-algebraic version of the split real quantum group in the language of multiplier Hopf algebras, and consequently the definition of R is made rigorous as the canonical element of the Drinfeld's double U of certain multiplier Hopf algebra Ub. Moreover, a ribbon structure is introduced for an extension of U.

We found an explicit construction of a representation of the positive quantum group and its modular double by positive essentially self-adjoint operators. Generalizing Lusztig's parametrization, we found a Gauss type decomposition for the totally positive quantum group parametrized by the standard decomposition of the longest element . Under this parametrization, we found explicitly the relations between the standard quantum variables, the relations between the quantum cluster variables, and realizing them using non-compact generators of the q-tori by positive essentially self-adjoint operators. The modular double arises naturally from the transcendental relations, and an space in the von Neumann setting can also be defined.

We construct the positive principal series representations for Uq(gR) where g is of type Bn, Cn, F4 or G2, parametrized by Rn where n is the rank of g. We show that under the representations, the generators of the Langlands dual group Uq(LgR) are related to the generators of Uq(gR) by the transcendental relations. This gives a new and very simple analytic relation between the Langlands dual pair. We define the modified quantum group Uqq(gR)=Uq(gR) ⊗ Uq(LgR) of the modular double and show that the representations of both parts of the modular double commute with each other, and there is an embedding into the q-tori polynomials.