Pointed Hopf algebras

Abstract

This is a survey on pointed Hopf algebras over algebraically closed fields of characteristic 0. We propose to classify pointed Hopf algebras $A$ by first determining the graded Hopf algebra $\gr A$ associated to the coradical filtration of $A$. The $A_{0}$-coinvariants elements form a braided Hopf algebra $R$ in the category of Yetter-Drinfeld modules over the coradical $A_{0} = \ku \Gamma$, $\Gamma$ the group of group-like elements of $A$, and $\gr A \simeq R # A_{0}$. We call the braiding of the primitive elements of $R$ the infinitesimal braiding of $A$. If this braiding is of Cartan type \cite{AS2}, then it is often possible to determine $R$, to show that $R$ is generated as an algebra by its primitive elements and finally to compute all deformations or liftings, that is pointed Hopf algebras such that $\gr A \simeq R # \ku \Gamma$. In the last Chapter, as a concrete illustration of the method, we describe explicitly all finite-dimensional pointed Hopf algebras $A$ with abelian group of group-likes $G(A)$ and infinitesimal braiding of type $A_{n}$ (up to some exceptional cases). In other words, we compute all the liftings of type $A_n$; this result is our main new contribution in this paper.