Hopfish algebras. (Q952966)

Let \(\text{Alg}_0\) denote the category of unital \(k\)-algebras over a commutative ring \(k\), where the morphisms are unital \(k\)-algebra maps. This paper introduces a new category \(\text{Alg}\) with the same objects, unital \(k\)-algebras, but whose morphisms \(\Hom(A,B)\) are isomorphism classes of \((A,B)\)-bimodules. If \(X\) is in \(\Hom(A,B)\) and \(Y\) is in \(\Hom(B,C)\), the composite \(XY\) is the isomorphism class of \(X\otimes_BY\). There is a functor from \(\text{Alg}_0\) to \(\text{Alg}\), called modulation. If \(f\) is in \(\Hom_0(A,B)\), thought of as an algebra morphism from \(B\) to \(A\), the modulation of \(f\) is the isomorphism class of \(A_f\), which is \(A\) as \((A,A)\)-bimodule, and has \((A,B)\)-bimodule structure \(a.x.b=axf(b)\). The idea of a bialgebra is replaced by the definition of a sesquiunital sesquialgebra. The coproduct \(d\) is now an \((A\otimes A,A)\)-bimodule, the counit \(e\) is now a \((k,A)\)-bimodule, i.e., a right \(A\)-module, and some familiar looking conditions are satisfied. If \(A\) is a bialgebra, then its modulation is a sesquiunital sesquialgebra. The definition of an antipode for a sesquiunital sesquialgebra \(A\) is more delicate. A preantipode \(S\) for \(A\) is a left \(A\otimes A\)-module and an isomorphism of its \(k\)-dual with the right \(A\otimes A\)-module \(\Hom_A(e,d)\). \(S\) may be considered as an \((A,A^{op})\)-bimodule. A preantipode \(S\) is called an antipode if \(S\), as \((A,A^{op})\)-bimodule, is a free left \(A\)-module of rank one. In this case \(A\) is called a Hopfish algebra. A section of the paper is devoted to showing that if \(A\) is a Hopf algebra or a quasi-Hopf algebra (in the usual sense), then its modulation is a Hopfish algebra. Another section studies Morita equivalence. The first result is that if \(A\) is a quasi-Hopf algebra, and \(B\) is an algebra Morita equivalent to \(A\), then \(B\) is a sesquiunital sesquialgebra with a preantipode. A more technical result gives conditions for \(B\) to be a Hopfish algebra. Morita equivalence is defined for Hopfish algebras. In a final section, examples are given of Hopfish algebras which are not Morita equivalent to modulations of Hopf algebras. Finally, if \(G\) is a groupoid, it is shown that the Hopfish structures of free finite type on \(k^G\) (the functions from \(G\) to \(k\)) are in 1-1 correspondence with the hypergroupoid structures on \(G\) (defined in this section). An example is given showing that \(k^G\) need not be Morita equivalent to a quasi-Hopf algebra, i.e., Hopfish structures on \(k^G\) need not correspond to group structures on \(G\).