A sequence to compute the Brauer group of certain quasi-triangular Hopf algebras

Abstract

A deeper understanding of recent computations of the Brauer group of Hopf algebras is attained by explaining why a direct product decomposition for this group holds and describing the non-interpreted factor occurring in it. For a Hopf algebra $B$ in a braided monoidal category $\C$, and under certain assumptions on the braiding (fulfilled if $\C$ is symmetric), we construct a sequence for the Brauer group $\BM(\C;B)$ of $B$-module algebras, generalizing Beattie's one. It allows one to prove that $\BM(\C;B) \cong \Br(\C) \times \Gal(\C;B),$ where $\Br(\C)$ is the Brauer group of $\C$ and $\Gal(\C;B)$ the group of $B$-Galois objects. We also show that $\BM(\C;B)$ contains a subgroup isomorphic to $\Br(\C) \times \Hc(\C;B,I),$ where $\Hc(\C;B,I)$ is the second Sweedler cohomology group of $B$ with values in the unit object $I$ of $\C$. These results are applied to the Brauer group of a quasi-triangular Hopf algebra that is a Radford biproduct $B \times H$, where $H$ is a usual Hopf algebra over a field $K$, the Hopf subalgebra generated by the quasi-triangular structure $\R$ is contained in $H$ and $B$ is a Hopf algebra in the category ${}_H\M$ of left $H$-modules. The Hopf algebras whose Brauer group was recently computed fit this framework. We finally show that $\BM(K,H,\R) \times \Hc({}_H\M;B,K)$ is a subgroup of the Brauer group $\BM(K,B \times H,\R),$ confirming the suspicion that a certain cohomology group of $B \times H$ (second lazy cohomology group was conjectured) embeds into $\BM(K,B \times H,\R).$ New examples of Brauer groups of quasi-triangular Hopf algebras are computed using this sequence.