Cohomology and formal deformations of alternative algebras (Q640288)

The authors introduce algebraic cohomology and formal deformation theory of left alternative algebras. Let \(A\) be a left alternative \(k\)-algebra. A left alternative \(p\)-cochain is a linear map from \(A^{\otimes p}\) to \(A.\) The group of all \(p\)-cochains is denoted by \(\mathcal{C}^p(A,A).\) For \(i=1,2,3,4\) the authors define the \(i\)-th differential map \(\delta ^i\psi\in\mathcal{C}^{i+1}(A,A),\) where \(\psi\in\mathcal{C}^i(A,A).\) The complex is completed by considering \(\delta ^i=0\) for \(i>4.\) For \(i=1,2,3\) it is proved that \(\delta^{i+1}\circ \delta^i=0.\) Also the authors compute the second cohomology group of \(2\times 2\)-matrix algebra viewed as a left alternative algebra. A formal left alternative deformation of \(A\) is given by a \(k[[t]]\)-bilinear map \(\mu :A[[t]]\otimes A[[t]] \rightarrow A[[t]]\) of the form \(\mu=\sum_{i\geq 0}\mu_it^i,\) where each \(\mu_i :A\otimes A\rightarrow A\) is a \(k\)-bilinear map, extended to be \(k[[t]]\)-bilinear. Conditions on \(\mu_i\) such that the deformation \(\mu\) is left alternative are obtained. Also equivalent deformations as well as trivial deformations of left alternative algebras are characterized.