An important idea in the work of G.-C. Rota is that certain combinatorial objects give rise to Hopf algebras that reflect the manner in which these objects compose and decompose. Recent work has seen the emergence of several interesting Hopf algebras of this kind, which connect diverse subjects such as combinatorics, algebra, geometry, and theoretical physics. This monograph presents a novel geometric approach using Coxeter complexes and the projection maps of Tits for constructing and studying many of these objects as well as new ones. The first three chapters introduce the necessary background ideas making this work accessible to advanced graduate students. The later chapters culminate in a unified and conceptual construction of several Hopf algebras based on combinatorial objects which emerge naturally from the geometric viewpoint. This work lays a foundation and provides new insights for further development of the subject.

The Geometry and Topology of Coxeter Groups is a comprehensive and authoritative treatment of Coxeter groups from the viewpoint of geometric group theory. Groups generated by reflections are ubiquitous in mathematics, and there are classical examples of reflection groups in spherical, Euclidean, and hyperbolic geometry. Any Coxeter group can be realized as a group generated by reflection on a certain contractible cell complex, and this complex is the principal subject of this book. The book explains a theorem of Moussong that demonstrates that a polyhedral metric on this cell complex is nonpositively curved, meaning that Coxeter groups are "CAT(0) groups." The book describes the reflection group trick, one of the most potent sources of examples of aspherical manifolds. And the book discusses many important topics in geometric group theory and topology, including Hopf's theory of ends; contractible manifolds and homology spheres; the Poincaré Conjecture; and Gromov's theory of CAT(0) spaces and groups. Finally, the book examines connections between Coxeter groups and some of topology's most famous open problems concerning aspherical manifolds, such as the Euler Characteristic Conjecture and the Borel and Singer conjectures.

Includes a rich variety of exercises to accompany the exposition of Coxeter groups Coxeter groups have already been exposited from algebraic and geometric perspectives, but this book will be presenting the combinatorial aspects of Coxeter groups

This research monograph integrates ideas from category theory, algebra and combinatorics. It is organized in three parts. Part I belongs to the realm of category theory. It reviews some of the foundational work of Benabou, Eilenberg, Kelly and Mac Lane on monoidal categories and of Joyal and Street on braided monoidal categories, and proceeds to study higher monoidal categories and higher monoidal functors. Special attention is devoted to the notion of a bilax monoidal functor which plays a central role in this work. Combinatorics and geometry are the theme of Part II. Joyal's species constitute a good framework for the study of algebraic structures associated to combinatorial objects. This part discusses the category of species focusing particularly on the Hopf monoids therein. The notion of a Hopf monoid in species parallels that of a Hopf algebra and reflects the manner in which combinatorial structures compose and decompose. Numerous examples of Hopf monoids are given in the text. These are constructed from combinatorial and geometric data and inspired by ideas of Rota and Tits' theory of Coxeter complexes. Part III is of an algebraic nature and shows how ideas in Parts I and II lead to a unified approach to Hopf algebras. The main step is the construction of Fock functors from species to graded vector spaces. These functors are bilax monoidal and thus translate Hopf monoids in species to graded Hopf algebras. This functorial construction of Hopf algebras encompasses both quantum groups and the Hopf algebras of recent prominence in the combinatorics literature. The monograph opens a vast new area of research. It is written with clarity and sufficient detail to make it accessible to advanced graduate students.

This book is an introduction to Hopf algebras in braided monoidal categories with applications to Hopf algebras in the usual sense. The main goal of the book is to present from scratch and with complete proofs the theory of Nichols algebras (or quantum symmetric algebras) and the surprising relationship between Nichols algebras and generalized root systems. In general, Nichols algebras are not classified by Cartan graphs and their root systems. However, extending partial results in the literature, the authors were able to associate a Cartan graph to a large class of Nichols algebras. This allows them to determine the structure of right coideal subalgebras of Nichols systems which generalize Nichols algebras. As applications of these results, the book contains a classification of right coideal subalgebras of quantum groups and of the small quantum groups, and a proof of the existence of PBW-bases that does not involve case by case considerations. The authors also include short chapter summaries at the beginning of each chapter and historical notes at the end of each chapter. The theory of Cartan graphs, Weyl groupoids, and generalized root systems appears here for the first time in a book form. Hence, the book serves as an introduction to the modern classification theory of pointed Hopf algebras for advanced graduate students and researchers working in categorial aspects and classification theory of Hopf algebras and their generalization.

Finite Coxeter groups and related structures arise naturally in several branches of mathematics such as the theory of Lie algebras and algebraic groups. The corresponding Iwahori-Hecke algebras are then obtained by a certain deformation process which have applications in the representation theory of groups of Lie type and the theory of knots and links. This book develops the theory of conjugacy classes and irreducible character, both for finite Coxeter groups and the associated Iwahori-Hecke algebras. Topics covered range from classical results to more recent developments and are clear and concise. This is the first book to develop these subjects both from a theoretical and an algorithmic point of view in a systematic way, covering all types of finite Coxeter groups.

This volume presents the proceedings from the Colloquium on Quantum Groups and Hopf Algebras held in Cordoba (Argentina) in 1999. The meeting brought together researchers who discussed recent developments in Hopf algebras, one of the most important being the influence of quantum groups. Articles offer introductory expositions and surveys on topics of current interest that, to date, have not been available in the current literature. Surveys are included on characteristics of Hopf algebras and their generalizations, biFrobenius algebras, braided Hopf algebras, inner actions and Galois theory, face algebras, and infinitesimal Hopf algebras. The following topics are also covered: existence of integrals, classification of semisimple and pointed Hopf algebras, *-Hopf algebras, dendriform algebras, etc. Non-classical topics are also included, reflecting its applications both inside and outside the theory.