A graphical categorification of the two-variable Chebyshev polynomials of the second kind

Abstract: We show that the $A_2$ clasps in the Karoubi envelope of $A_2$ spider satisfy the recursive formula of the two-variable Chebyshev polynomials of the second kind associated with a root system of type $A_2$. The $A_2$ spider is a diagrammatic description of the representation category for $U_q(\mathfrak{sl}_3)$ and the $A_2$ clasps are projectors. Our categorification also gives a natural definition of a $q$-deformation of the two-variable Chebyshev polynomials. This paper is constructed based only on the linear skein theory and graphical calculus.