Hopf duals, algebraic groups, and Jordan pairs. (Q1887578)

This paper exhibits a topological approach to the problem of constructing a dual to a Hopf algebra \(\mathcal H\). The usual technique, of course, is to replace the linear dual \({\mathcal H}^*\) with a subalgebra \({\mathcal H}^0\) of all \(f\in{\mathcal H}^*\) which vanish on a subspace of finite codimension. This can also be described by endowing a specific topology on \(\mathcal H\) whereby \({\mathcal H}^0\) is the set of continuous linear functions on \(\mathcal H\). There have been other ways of choosing the subalgebra of \({\mathcal H}^*\) to use as the dual: these can all be described by specifying specific topologies on \(\mathcal H\) and restricting to continuous functions. The difficulty of dualizing \(\mathcal H\) arises from the fact that, in general, \(\Hom({\mathcal V}_1\otimes {\mathcal V}_2,{\mathcal W}_1\otimes{\mathcal W}_2)\) is not isomorphic to \(\Hom({\mathcal V}_1,{\mathcal W}_1)\otimes\Hom({\mathcal V}_2,{\mathcal W}_2)\). However, if both \({\mathcal V}_1\) and \({\mathcal V}_2\) are finitely generated and projective then the above is isomorphic. Here more generally it is shown that if each \({\mathcal V}_i\) is given a linear topology which is residually finitely generated and projective, then there is an isomorphism above when \(\Hom\) is replaced with the subset of continuous homomorphisms. If \({\mathcal H}_{\mathcal T}\) is a residually finitely generated projective Hopf algebra then \(\Hom({\mathcal H}_{\mathcal T},{\mathcal H}')\) is a Hopf algebra for any \({\mathcal H}'\). Taking \({\mathcal H}'=k\) gives a dual to \({\mathcal H}_{\mathcal T}\) which is denoted \({\mathcal H}_{\mathcal T}^*\). Specializing to the case where \(\mathcal H\) is cocommutative makes \({\mathcal H}_{\mathcal T}^*\) a commutative Hopf algebra, hence it represents a group scheme. The group scheme represented by \({\mathcal H}_{\mathcal T}^*\) is described in detail -- mainly that it associates to a \(k\)-algebra \(K\) a subgroup of the group of units of \({\mathcal H}/I\otimes K\) for some Hopf ideal \(I\subset{\mathcal H}\). Applications are also given to Jordan pairs. Given a Jordan pair a group scheme is constructed using the topological methods described above. Finally, these methods are used to prove a result of Loos constructing a Jordan pair from a group with an elementary action.