Quasitriangular Hopf algebra

Short description: Algebra with braided rigid category of representations

In mathematics, a quasitriangular Hopf algebra is a particular kind of Hopf algebra $H$, equipped with a special element $R\in H\otimes H$, called the R-matrix. The R-matrix naturally provides the structure of a braiding on the rigid category of representations of $H$, which makes quasitriangular Hopf algebras useful in knot theory.

The most important examples of quasitriangular Hopf algebras are quantum groups.

Definition

A Hopf algebra H is quasitriangular if there exists an invertible element $R\in H\otimes H$ such that

• $R\mathrm{\Delta }(x)R^{-1}=(T\circ \mathrm{\Delta })(x)$ for all $x\in H$, where $\mathrm{\Delta }$ is the coproduct on H, and the linear map $T:H\otimes H\to H\otimes H$ is given by $T(x\otimes y)=y\otimes x$,

• $(\mathrm{\Delta }\otimes 1)(R)=R_{13}{R}_{23}$,

• $(1\otimes \mathrm{\Delta })(R)=R_{13}{R}_{12}$,

where $R_{12}={\varphi }_{12}(R)$, $R_{13}={\varphi }_{13}(R)$, and $R_{23}={\varphi }_{23}(R)$, where ${\varphi }_{12}:H\otimes H\to H\otimes H\otimes H$, ${\varphi }_{13}:H\otimes H\to H\otimes H\otimes H$, and ${\varphi }_{23}:H\otimes H\to H\otimes H\otimes H$, are algebra morphisms determined by

${\varphi }_{12}(a\otimes b)=a\otimes b\otimes 1,$

${\varphi }_{13}(a\otimes b)=a\otimes 1\otimes b,$

${\varphi }_{23}(a\otimes b)=1\otimes a\otimes b.$

R is called the R-matrix.

Properties

As a consequence of the properties of quasitriangularity, the R-matrix, R, is a solution of the Yang–Baxter equation (and so a module V of H can be used to determine quasi-invariants of braids, knots and links). Also as a consequence of the properties of quasitriangularity, $(ϵ\otimes 1)R=(1\otimes ϵ)R=1\in H$; moreover $R^{-1}=(S\otimes 1)(R)$, $R=(1\otimes S)(R^{-1})$, and $(S\otimes S)(R)=R$. One may further show that the antipode S must be a linear isomorphism, and thus S² is an automorphism. In fact, S² is given by conjugating by an invertible element: $S^2(x)=ux{u}^{-1}$ where $u:=m((S\otimes 1)\circ T)R$ (cf. Ribbon Hopf algebras).

It is possible to construct a quasitriangular Hopf algebra from a Hopf algebra and its dual, using the Drinfeld quantum double construction.

If the Hopf algebra H is quasitriangular, then the category of modules over H is braided with braiding

$c_{U,V}(u\otimes v)=T(R\cdot (u\otimes v))=T(R_{1}u\otimes R_{2}v)$.

Twisting

The property of being a quasi-triangular Hopf algebra is preserved by twisting via an invertible element $F=\sum _i{f}^i\otimes f_i\in {𝒜}{\otimes }{𝒜}$ such that $(\epsilon \otimes id)F=(id\otimes \epsilon )F=1$ and satisfying the cocycle condition

$(F\otimes 1)\cdot (\mathrm{\Delta }\otimes id)(F)=(1\otimes F)\cdot (id\otimes \mathrm{\Delta })(F)$

Furthermore, $u=\sum _i{f}^{i}S(f_i)$ is invertible and the twisted antipode is given by $S^{\prime }(a)=uS(a)u^{-1}$, with the twisted comultiplication, R-matrix and co-unit change according to those defined for the quasi-triangular quasi-Hopf algebra. Such a twist is known as an admissible (or Drinfeld) twist.

See also

• Quasi-triangular quasi-Hopf algebra
• Ribbon Hopf algebra

References

• Montgomery, Susan (1993). Hopf algebras and their actions on rings. Regional Conference Series in Mathematics. 82. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society. ISBN 0-8218-0738-2. 
• Montgomery, Susan; Schneider, Hans-Jürgen (2002). New directions in Hopf algebras. Mathematical Sciences Research Institute Publications. 43. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81512-3.