THE QUANTUM GROUP-STRUCTURE OF 2D GRAVITY AND MINIMAL MODELS .1.

On the unit circle, an infinite family of chiral operators is constructed, whose exchange algebra is given by the universal R-matrix of the quantum group SL(2) q . This establishes the precise connection between the chiral algebra of two dimensional gravity or minimal models and this quantum group. The method is to relate the monodromy properties of the operator differential equations satisfied by the generalized vertex operators with the exchange algebra of SL(2) q . The formulae so derived, which generalize an earlier particular case worked out by Babelon, are remarkably compact and may be entirely written in terms of "q-deformed" factorials and binomial coefficients. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.