Quantization of Lie bialgebras via the formality of the operad of little disks (Q2370121)

The author gives a proof of the Etinghof-Kazhdan quantization of Lie bialgebras [\textit{P. Etingof} and \textit{D. Kazhdan}, Sel. Math., New Ser. 2, No. 1, 1--41 (1996; Zbl 0863.17008)] based on the formality of the chain operad of little disks. Although the theorem is for Lie bialgebras \(G\) over the rationals \(Q\), one needs to consider Lie bialgebras \(G_n\) over the commutative algebra \(A_n=Q[t]/(t^n)\). \(G_n\) is called conilpotent if for some \(N\), any \(N\)-fold iterate of the cobracket is zero. A Hopf algebra (perhaps without antipode) over \(A_n\) is called conilpotent if for any \(x\) in the augmentation ideal, the operator which measures the deviation of \(x\) from being primitive iterates to zero. The author constructs a functor \(F\) from conilpotent Lie bialgebras over \(A_n\) to conilpotent Hopf algebras over \(A_n\). Here is a rough idea of how this yields the quantization result. Given \(G\), let \(G_n\) be the tensor product (over \(Q\)) of \(G\) and \(A_n\). \(G_n\) has bracket induced by that of \(G\), and cobracket whose action on \(x\) tensor \(a\) is \(tad(x)\), \(d\) the cobracket on \(G\). \(G_n\) is conilpotent. Let \(C_n\) be the category of \(A_n\)-modules, \(P_n\) the functor from \(C_n\) to \(C_(n-1)\). \(P_n(G_n)\) is conilpotent and is naturally isomorphic to \(G_(n-1)\). Then \(F(G_n)\) is a conilpotent Hopf algebra \(H_n\) over \(A_n\), and there are identifications of \(P_n(H_n)\) to \(H_(n-1)\). The inverse limit of the \(H_n\) is the Etinghof-Kazhdan quantized Hopf algebra structure on \(U(G)[[t]]\), which reduces modulo \(t\) to the Hopf algebra structure on \(U(G)\). We indicate some of the ingredients of this approach. One is the cochain complex with respect to the cobracket of a conilpotent Lie bialgebra \(G\). This is a graded commutative algebra algebra with a differential defined on the space of generators \(G[-1]\) and has the structure of a Gerstenhaber algebra. Let Ger be the operad of Gerstenhaber algebras, and Braces be the operad of brace structures. Let Hoger\(\to\)Ger be the standard resolution of Ger. There is a quasi-isomorphic map from Hoger to Braces, and thus a way to construct a brace algebra from a Gerstenhaber algebra. One applies this to the cochain complex of \(G\) to obtain a brace algebra \(B\). This is the step which uses the Drinfeld associators (or integrals) used by Etinghof and Kazhdan. The formality of Braces follows from the formality of the operad of singular chains of little disks, as observed by \textit{M. Kontsevich} [Lett. Math. Phys. 48, No. 1, 35--72 (1999; Zbl 0945.18008)]. Let \(H(B)\) be the direct sum of the non-negative powers of \(B[1]\), a differential graded Hopf algebra. If the sum of the positive tensor powers of \(H(B)\) is zero, then \(H^0(B)\) is the desired quantization \(F(G)\) of \(G\). All this is carried out in the universal language of PROPs.