Biproduct

Abstract: We study topological D-branes of type B in N = 2 Landau-Ginzburg models, focusing on the case where all vacua have a mass gap. In general, tree-level topological string theory in the presence of topological D-branes is described mathematically in terms of a triangulated category. For example, it has been argued that B-branes for an N = 2 sigma-model with a Calabi-Yau target space are described by the derived category of coherent sheaves on this space. M. Kontsevich previously proposed a candidate category for B-branes in N = 2 Landau-Ginzburg models, and our computations confirm this proposal. We also give a heuristic physical derivation of the proposal. Assuming its validity, we can completely describe the category of B-branes in an arbitrary massive Landau-Ginzburg model in terms of modules over a Clifford algebra. Assuming in addition Homological Mirror Symmetry, our results enable one to compute the Fukaya category for a large class of Fano varieties. We also provide a (somewhat trivial) counter-example to the hypothesis that given a closed string background there is a unique set of D-branes consistent with it.

Abstract: We propose the following principle to study pointed Hopf algebras, or more generally, Hopf algebras whose coradical is a Hopf subalgebra. Given such a Hopf algebra A, consider its coradical filtration and the associated graded coalgebra grad(A). Then grad(A) is a graded Hopf algebra, since the coradical A_0 of A is a Hopf subalgebra. In addition, there is a projection \pi: grad(A) \to A_0; let R be the algebra of coinvariants of \pi. Then, by a result of Radford and Majid, R is a braided Hopf algebra and grad(A) is the bosonization (or biproduct) of R and A_0: grad(A) is isomorphic to (R # A_0). The principle we propose to study A is first to study R, then to transfer the information to grad(A) via bosonization, and finally to lift to A. In this article, we apply this principle to the situation when R is the simplest braided Hopf algebra: a quantum linear space. As consequences of our technique, we obtain the classification of pointed Hopf algebras of order p^3 (p an odd prime) over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero; with the same hypothesis, the characterization of the pointed Hopf algebras whose coradical is abelian and has index p or p^2; and an infinite family of pointed, non-isomorphic, Hopf algebras of the same dimension. This last result gives a negative answer to a conjecture of I. Kaplansky.

Abstract: Let H be a finite dimensional Hopf algebra and D(H) the associated ”quantum double” quasitriangular Hopf algebra of Drin-feld. Previously we showed that as an example of a double cross product of Hopf algebras H H ∗op acting on each other. We now show that if H is itself quasitriangular then D(H) is a semidirect"biproduct"in the sense of Radford: There is an algebra and coalgebra B such that as an ordinary smash product and smash co-product by H. The result arises naturally in the context of representation theoretic considerations for double cross products.