\(\sqrt{\text{Morita}}\) theory: Formal ring laws and monoidal equivalences of categories of bimodules (Q1089420)

Central theme of the paper is the study of equivalences of categories, which preserve tensor products. Such equivalences are called monoidal equivalences. The categories of interest are categories \({}_ R{\mathcal M}_ R\) of R-left-R-right bimodules. The tensor product is assumed over R. Everything is defined over a commutative base ring k. A general construction of such monoidal equivalences can be derived from 2-cocycles \(\sigma\in R\otimes R\otimes R\) in the sense of Sweedler (or of Amitsur if R is commutative). The author calls them invertible formal ring laws. They induce a monoidal equivalence \({}_ R{\mathcal M}_ R\cong_ S{\mathcal M}_ S\) where \(S=R^{\sigma}\) is the algebra R with multiplication \(a\cdot b:=\sum a_ iab_ ibc_ i\), with the 2-cocycle \(\alpha =\sum a_ i\otimes b_ i\otimes c_ i\). An interesting side remark: if R is Azumaya, then the formal ring law \(\sigma\) is invertible iff \(R^{\sigma}\) is Azumaya. In general if there is a monoidal equivalence \({}_ R{\mathcal M}_ R\cong_ S{\mathcal M}_ S\), then the author calls R \(\sqrt{Morita}\) equivalent to S. He shows that properties like being central, simple, or separable are preserved by \(\sqrt{Morita}\) equivalence. In particular R is Azumaya over k iff R is \(\sqrt{Morita}\) equivalent to k. Then \(\sqrt{Morita}\) equivalences between R and S induced by ''invertible'' \(R| S\)-corings C are studied. In fact all \(\sqrt{Morita}\) equivalences can be induced in such a way. They are called coalgebraic \(\sqrt{Morita}\) equivalences. Certain \(\sqrt{Morita}\) equivalences can be studied in a simpler context namely if R and S are finitely generated projective over k. \(R| S\)- rings are called admissible if they satisfy certain associativity conditions. Algebraic (as opposed to coalgebraic) \(\sqrt{Morita}\) equivalences are induced by admissible rings. In the finitely generated projective situation there is a duality between algebraic \(\sqrt{Morita}\) equivalences and coalgebraic \(\sqrt{Morita}\) equivalences.