Polynomial functors and two-parameter quantum symmetric pairs

Abstract: We develop a theory of two-parameter quantum polynomial functors. Similar to how (strict) polynomial functors give a new interpretation of polynomial representations of the general linear groups $\operatorname{GL}n$, the two-parameter polynomial functors give a new interpretation of (polynomial) representations of the quantum symmetric pair $(U{Q,q}^B(\mathfrak{gl}_n), U_q(\mathfrak{gl}n) )$ which specializes to type AIII/AIV quantum symmetric pairs. The coideal subalgebra $U{Q,q}^B(\mathfrak{gl}_n)$ appears in a Schur-Weyl duality with the type B Hecke algebra $\mathcal H^B_{Q,q}(d)$. We endow two-parameter polynomial functors with a cylinder braided structure which we use to construct the two-parameter Schur functors. Our polynomial functors can be precomposed with the quantum polynomial functors of type A producing new examples of action pairs.