Derived Hall algebras (Q860115)

A Hall algebra is an associative algebra associated to an abelian category (under some finiteness conditions). It is generated as a vector space by the isomorphisms classes of objects, and the product of two objects is defined with the Hall numbers which count a certain number of extensions of the given objects. The construction appears in several contexts (e.g., in the theory of quantum groups). As a generalization, the present paper defines a derived Hall algebra associated to any differential graded category. This one is associative and unital. An explicit formula gives the derived Hall numbers purely in terms of invariants of the associated triangulated category. As an example the derived Hall algebra for a hereditary abelian category is described.