Engel elements in the homotopy Lie algebra (Q1178877)

This paper deals with properties of graded Lie algebras, \(L\), over a field \(k\). Recall that the depth of \(L\) is the infimum of the set of integers \(m\) for which \(\hbox{Ext}^ m_{UL}(k,UL)=0\). If \(L\) is the rational homotopy Lie algebra of a simply connected space, \(X\), then the depth of \(L\) is bounded above by the Lusternik-Schnirelmann category of \(X\). A similar theorem also holds for the homotopy Lie algebra of a local ring. These two results of [\textit{Y. Félix}, \textit{S. Halperin}, \textit{C. Jacobsson}, \textit{C. Löfwall}, and \textit{J.-C. Thomas}, Am. J. Math. 110, 301-322 (1988; Zbl 0654.55011)] motivate the study of Lie algebras of finite depth. Recall that an Engel element in a graded Lie algebra \(L\) is an element \(x\in L\) such that \(\hbox{ad} x\) is locally nilpotent. The main result of the paper under review states: Theorem: If \(L\) is concentrated in degrees \(>0\) (or in degrees \(<0\)) and if depth\( L=m\), then there are at most \(m\) linearly independent Engel elements of even degree. For the proof, the authors develop properties of the Hochschild-Serre spectral sequence for short exact sequences of Hopf algebras.