On bimeasurings. (Q2576924)

The authors extend the concept of measuring defined by Sweedler. If \(N,T\) are bialgebras and \(A\) is an algebra, a map \(\psi\colon N\otimes T\to A\) is a bimeasuring if \(N\) measures \(T\) to \(A\) and \(T\) measures \(N\) to \(A\) in Sweedler's sense. If \(T\) is a bialgebra and \(A\) an algebra, then a bimeasuring \(\theta\colon B\otimes T\to A\) is called a universal bimeasuring if for any bimeasuring \(f\colon N\otimes T\to A\) there exists a unique bialgebra map \(\overline f\colon N\to B\) such that \(f=(\overline f\otimes 1)\theta\). It is proved that for commutative \(A\), the universal bimeasuring exists, and it gives rise to a contravariant functor on the category of bialgebras that is adjoint to itself. A cocommutative version of the universal bimeasuring bialgebra is investigated, and an interpretation of bimeasurings as algebras in the category of Hopf modules is given.