The beginnings of the theory of Hopf algebras. (Q1043839)

The article aims to trace back the formal definition of a Hopf algebra and to describe its evolution in time. There are two main sources: algebraic topology (including the work of Heinz Hopf himself), where the algebras are usually graded, and algebraic groups. In 1941, Hopf defined what is now called an \(H\)-space, i.e., a manifold with a continuous product. \(H\) refers to the cohomology ring of the manifold, which has a coproduct and a (cup) product. The term ``algèbre de Hopf'' was coined by A. Borel in 1953 in his work on the homology of homogeneous spaces. The section on algebraic topology also mentions the work of E. Halpern and the famous paper of J. Milnor and J. Moore. The section on algebraic groups mentions the work of J. Dieudonné, P. Cartier, G. Hochschild and G. Mostow, B. Kostant and G. Kac. The earliest (algebraic) definition of a not necessarily graded Hopf algebra resembling the one used today was given by \textit{P. Cartier} (which he called a hyperalgèbre) in the Séminaire ``Sophus Lie'', 2e anneé 1955/56 (1957). His definition included cocommutativity and did not mention an antipode. However, it included a coalgebra filtration condition which implies the existence of an antipode. He discussed three examples: the universal enveloping algebra of a Lie algebra, the restricted enveloping algebra of a \(p\)-Lie algebra, and the algebra of divided powers. In 1956, he discussed the Hopf algebras of polynomial functions on a linear algebraic group [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris 242, 322-325 (1956; Zbl 0070.02506)]. The book of \textit{M. E. Sweedler} [Hopf algebras, Benjamin (1969; Zbl 0194.32901)] finalized the consideration of Hopf algebras as an independent part of abstract algebra. Going back to Heinz Hopf, the article does not mention the solutions to specific topological questions which motivated Hopf, e.g., the homology ring of spheres of odd dimension. This would perhaps have been beyond the aims of the article, but might be considered in a future article on the uses of Hopf algebras in topology and in algebraic geometry. The reader interested in uses in topology should consult the book ``History of Topology'', edited by I. M. James, Amsterdam: Elsevier (1999; Zbl 0922.54003).