Pointed Hopf algebras -- from enveloping algebras to quantum groups and beyond. (Q1043836)

This is a survey article on pointed Hopf algebras \(H\) over a field \(k\) as the subject has developed over the past 40 years. \(H\) is called pointed if every simple subcoalgebra has dimension one, i.e., has a basis of one group-like element. Examples include universal enveloping algebras and their quantum versions. Here are the titles of the 11 sections with a few comments. 1. Introduction. 2. Basic Definitions and Examples. 3. Hopf Modules. 4. The Coradical Filtration. For a coalgebra \(C\), the first term \(C_0\) is the sum of the simple subcoalgebras. Thus for a pointed \(H\), \(H_0\) is the group algebra on the group-like elements \(G(H)\). 5. Finite-Dimensional Simple-Pointed Hopf Algebras. \(H\) is called simple-pointed if \(H\) is pointed, not cocommutative, and every proper sub-Hopf algebra of \(H\) is contained in \(H_0\). Examples are given, and three open questions are mentioned, including the possibility of analogues of the Sylow theorems for finite-dimensional pointed \(H\). 6. Characters of One-Dimensional Representations of \(H\). 7. The Graded Hopf Algebra Associated to a Pointed Hopf Algebra and ``Lifting''. If \(H\) is pointed, so is \(\text{gr}(H)\). ``Lifting'' refers to the process of constructing, or reconstructing, defining relations of \(H\) from defining relations of \(\text{gr}(H)\). 8. Bi-Products and Nichols Algebras. This section introduces the Yetter-Drinfeld category, whose objects are left \(H\)-modules and left \(H\)-comodules with a compatability condition. This is a braided category. A Nichols algebra is a graded pointed irreducible (just one group-like) Hopf algebra \(R\) in this category, whose 1-component consists of all the primitive elements of \(R\) and which generates \(R\) as an algebra. An example is given where \(R\) is not itself a Hopf algebra, but rather a Hopf algebra in the Yetter-Drinfeld category. 9. Classification Results; the Finite-Dimensional Case. Here \(k\) is algebraically closed of characteristic zero, \(H\) is finite-dimensional, pointed, and \(G(H)\) is Abelian. A datum \(D\) of finite Cartan type is defined. Under some mild assumptions involving braiding on \(G(H)\), \(H\) can be obtained from \(D\) as a Hopf algebra. 10. Generalized Doubles. 11. The Foundations of Representation Theory. Classification results lead to a very general highest weight theory, accounting for a parametrization of simple modules in many cases. This survey article has no proofs, but has an extensive list of references.