The quantum trace as a quantum non-abelianization map

Abstract: We prove that the balanced Chekhov-Fock algebra of a punctured triangulated surface is isomorphic to a skein algebra which is a deformation of the algebra of regular functions of some abelian character variety. We first deduce from this observation a classification of the irreducible representations of the balanced Chekhov-Fock algebra at odd roots of unity, which generalizes to open surfaces the classification of Bonahon, Liu and Wong. We re-interpret Bonahon and Wong's quantum trace map as a non-commutative deformation of some regular morphism between this abelian character variety and the SL2-character variety. This algebraic morphism shares many resemblance with the non-abelianization map of Gaiotto, Moore, Hollands and Neitzke. When the punctured surface is closed, we prove that this algebraic non-abelianization map induces a birational morphism between a smooth torus and the relative SL2 character variety.