Representations of degree three for semisimple Hopf algebras. (Q1886243)

It was conjectured by Kaplansky in 1975 that if a semisimple Hopf algebra \(H\) has an irreducible module of dimension \(d\), then \(d\) divides the dimension of \(H\). This conjecture remains still an open problem although it has been solved in several instances, notably, \textit{P. Etingof} and \textit{S. Gelaki} gave a proof assuming that \(H\) is quasitriangular [Math. Res. Lett. 5, No. 1-2, 191-197 (1998; Zbl 0907.16016)], and \textit{W. D. Nichols} and \textit{M. B. Richmond} proved it in the case where \(d=2\) [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 106, No. 3, 297-306 (1996; Zbl 0848.16034)]. Let \(H\) be a cosemisimple Hopf algebra over an algebraically closed field \(k\). The main result of this paper states that if \(H\) contains a simple subcoalgebra of dimension 9 and no simple subcoalgebras of even dimension, then \(H\) must also contain either group-like elements of order 2 or 3, or a family of simple subcoalgebras whose dimensions are the squares of each positive odd integer. The result is analogous to a previous result, in the above mentioned article of Nichols and Richmond, on subcoalgebras of dimension 4. As a corollary the author shows that if \(H\) is odd dimensional, and has a simple subcoalgebra of dimension 9, then its dimension is a multiple of 3; a related result (in characteristic zero) has also been obtained by Kashina, Sommerhäuser and Zhu.