Non-existence of Hopf-Galois structures and bijective crossed homomorphisms (Q1730848)

Work of \textit{C. Greither} and \textit{B. Pareigis} [J. Algebra 106, 239--258 (1987; Zbl 0615.12026)] and of \textit{N. P. Byott} [Commun. Algebra 24, No. 10, 3217--3228 (1996; Zbl 0878.12001)] yields that the enumeration of Hopf-Galois structures on a Galois extension of fields with Galois group \(G\) is equivalent to the enumeration of all the regular subgroups of all the holomorphs \(\mathrm{Hol}(N)\) of the groups \(N\) of the same order as \(G\). Various methods have been introduced to study these regular subgroups. In the paper under review, the author shows how to describe them in terms of bijective crossed homomorphisms from \(G\) to \(N\), and proves the usefulness of this approach by addressing two questions. \textit{S. Carnahan} and \textit{L. Childs} had shown [J. Algebra 218, No. 1, 81--92 (1999; Zbl 0988.12003)] that if \(G\) is a finite simple group, then the images of the right and left regular representations of \(G\) are the only subgroups of \(\mathrm{Hol}(G)\) which are isomorphic to \(G\). In their first result, the author extends this to finite quasisimple groups, that is, those perfect groups \(G\) such that \(G/Z(G)\) is simple. The second group of results addresses the following question. Suppose \(G\) and \(N\) are non-isomorphic groups of the same order. Is there a regular subgroup of \(\mathrm{Hol}(N)\) isomorphic to \(G\)? \textit{N. P. Byott} [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 36, No. 1, 23--29 (2004; Zbl 1038.12002)] had given a negative answer when \(G\) is non-abelian simple. The author extends this result to some classes of quasisimple groups.