Deformations of mixed associators in module categories

Abstract

We set up a cochain complex $C^\bullet_{\mathrm{mix}}(\mathcal{M})$ whose cohomology controls deformations of the mixed associator of a module category $\mathcal{M}$ over a $\Bbbk$-linear monoidal category $\mathcal{C}$. We show that $C^\bullet_{\mathrm{mix}}(\mathcal{M})$ is isomorphic to the Davydov-Yetter (DY) complex of the representation functor $\rho : \mathcal{C} \to \mathrm{End}(\mathcal{M})$. Using our previous results on DY cohomology (arXiv:2411.19111), we prove that if $\mathcal{C}$ and $\mathcal{M}$ are finite then the cohomology $H^\bullet_{\mathrm{mix}}(\mathcal{M})$ is isomorphic to the relative Ext groups $\mathrm{Ext}^\bullet_{\mathcal{Z}(\mathcal{C}),\mathcal{C}}(\boldsymbol{1},\mathcal{A}_{\mathcal{M}})$ for the usual adjunction between the Drinfeld center $\mathcal{Z}(\mathcal{C})$ and $\mathcal{C}$, where $\mathcal{A}_{\mathcal{M}}$ is the so-called adjoint algebra of $\mathcal{M}$. This allows us to give a dimension formula for $H^n_{\mathrm{mix}}(\mathcal{M})$ in terms of certain Hom spaces in $\mathcal{Z}(\mathcal{C})$, and also to prove that $H^{>0}_{\mathrm{mix}}(\mathcal{C}) = 0$. We also show that the algebra $\mathcal{A}_{\mathcal{M}}$ is the ``full center'' of an algebra in $\mathcal{C}$ realizing $\mathcal{M}$. We furthermore establish a generalized version of Ocneanu rigidity for monoidal functors with coefficients, and provide its application to general (non-exact and non-finite) $\mathcal{C}$-module categories over a fusion category $\mathcal{C}$ such that $\dim(\mathcal{C}) \neq 0$. We spell out these results for module categories defined by finite-dimensional comodule algebras over finite-dimensional Hopf algebras. Examples based on comodule algebras over Sweedler's Hopf algebra are worked out in detail and yield new continuous families of inequivalent non-exact module categories.