The Weil Algebra of a Hopf Algebra - I - A noncommutative framework

Abstract

We generalize the notion, introduced by Henri Cartan, of an operation of a Lie algebra $\mathfrak g$ in a graded differential algebra $\Omega$. We define the notion of an operation of a Hopf algebra $\mathcal H$ in a graded differential algebra $\Omega$ which is refered to as a $\mathcal H$-operation. We then generalize for such an operation the notion of algebraic connection. Finally we discuss the corresponding noncommutative version of the Weil algebra: The Weil algebra $W(\mathcal H)$ of the Hopf algebra $\mathcal H$ is the universal initial object of the category of $\mathcal H$-operations with connections.