Let $K$ denote an algebraically closed field and let $V$ denote a vector space over $K$ with finite positive dimension. We consider a pair of linear transformations $A:V \to V$ and $A^*:V \to V$ that satisfy the following conditions: (i) each of $A,A^*$ is diagonalizable; (ii) there exists an ordering $\lbrace V_i\rbrace_{i=0}^d$ of the eigenspaces of $A$ such that $A^* V_i \subseteq V_{i-1} + V_{i} + V_{i+1}$ for $0 \leq i \leq d$, where $V_{-1}=0$ and $V_{d+1}=0$; (iii) there exists an ordering $\lbrace V^*_i\rbrace_{i=0}^��$ of the eigenspaces of $A^*$ such that $A V^*_i \subseteq V^*_{i-1} + V^*_{i} + V^*_{i+1}$ for $0 \leq i \leq ��$, where $V^*_{-1}=0$ and $V^*_{��+1}=0$; (iv) there is no subspace $W$ of $V$ such that $AW \subseteq W$, $A^* W \subseteq W$, $W \neq 0$, $W \neq V$. We call such a pair a {\it tridiagonal pair} on $V$. It is known that $d=��$. For $0 \leq i \leq d$ let $��_i$ (resp. $��^*_i$) denote the eigenvalue of $A$ (resp. $A^*$) associated with $V_i$ (resp. $V^*_i$). The pair $A,A^*$ is said to have {\it $q$-Racah type} whenever $��_i = a + b q^{2i-d}+ c q^{d-2i}$ and $��^*_i = a^* + b^*q^{2i-d}+c^*q^{d-2i}$ for $0 \leq i \leq d$, where $q, a,b,c,a^*,b^*,c^*$ are scalars in $K$ with $q,b,c,b^*,c^*$ nonzero and $q^2 \not\in \lbrace 1,-1\rbrace$. This type is the most general one. We classify up to isomorphism the tridiagonal pairs over $K$ that have $q$-Racah type. Our proof involves the representation theory of the quantum affine algebra $U_q(\widehat{\mathfrak{sl}}_2)$.

30 pages