Central extensions of quantum current groups (Q583396)

The central extensions of quantum current groups are described. They are the central extensions of noncommutative and noncocommutative Hopf algebras which provide the deformations of the enveloping algebras of affine Lie algebras. For a special value of the central charge the Casimir elements in these algebras are described. From the physicist's point of view the construction carried out in the paper may be considered as the construction of Schwinger terms for a quantum current algebra.