Existence of integrals for finite dimensional quasi-Hopf algebras (Q1580691)

This short paper succeeds in defining the notion of the space of integrals \(\int\) for a finite dimensional quasi-Hopf algebra \(A\). Here an element \(\lambda\in A\) is a left integral if \(a\lambda=\varepsilon(a)\lambda\) for all \(a\in A\), where \(\varepsilon\) is the counit map. Generalizing a proof of \textit{A. Van Daele} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 125, No. 12, 3489-3500 (1997; Zbl 0888.16023)] which proves the existence of integrals for Hopf algebras without using Hopf modules, the authors prove existence of integrals for finite dimensional quasi-Hopf algebras (that is, they prove that \(\int\neq 0\)). The proof is a short, direct computation where an element of \(\int\) is constructed. Finally, although Van Daele's paper also proves uniqueness of integrals, it is pointed out that the generalization to quasi-Hopf algebras does not give a uniqueness proof in the quasi-Hopf algebra case.