On the central charge of a factorizable Hopf algebra. (Q1944325)

The authors study factorizable Hopf algebras over a field \(K\) of characteristic zero (usually not algebraically closed). A nice motivation and an introduction for the study given by the authors in the introduction of the paper is as follows. ``In the first book of his ``Vorlesungen über Zahlentheorie'' [English translation: Elementary number theory. Chelsea, New York (1966)], \textit{E. Landau} discusses various proofs of a result by C. F. Gauss on the sign of certain sum of \(n\geq 1\) terms denoted by \(\mathfrak G\). In particular, he discusses a proof by I. Schur and a proof by F. Mertens. As Landau points out, and this is confirmed by the original sources, the starting point of Schur's proof is an equation of the form \(\mathfrak G\cdot\mathfrak G'=n\), where \(\mathfrak G'\) is the sum of reciprocal values, whereas the starting point of Mertens' proof is an equation of the form \(\mathfrak G^2=\pm n\), or alternatively, by comparison with the first equation, \(\mathfrak G'=\pm\mathfrak G\). Every semisimple factorizable Hopf algebra, or more generally every modular category, gives rise to numbers \(\mathfrak g\) and \(\mathfrak g'\) that are in many ways analogous to the Gaussian sum \(\mathfrak G\) and the reciprocal sum \(\mathfrak G'\). In particular, as we discuss in Paragraph 4.4, there is a factorizable Hopf algebra with the property that \(\mathfrak g=\mathfrak G\) and \(\mathfrak g'=\mathfrak G'\). Therefore the question arises whether the above equations also hold in the more general form \(\mathfrak g\cdot\mathfrak g'=n\) and \(\mathfrak g'=\pm\mathfrak g\). Proofs of the first of these two equations can be found in many places in the literature (\dots). For the second equation, less is known (\dots).'' Following this motivation and explanation, the authors show that, given semisimple factorizable Hopf \(K\)-algebra \(H\), the value that an integral takes on the inverse Drinfel'd element differs from the value it takes on the Drinfel'd element itself by at most a fourth root of unity. This can be reformulated by saying that the central charge of the Hopf \(K\)-algebra \(H\) is an integer. It is shown in the paper that these two values differ by at most a sign (equivalently, the central charge is even), if \(\dim_KH\) is odd. A precise condition on the dimension that determines whether the plus sign or the minus sign occurs is given in the paper. The results are formulated using the language of modular data. The paper ends with an appendix in which the authors answer a question asked by one of the referees and D. Bulacu.