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Tim Van der Linden

Publications and source records attributed to Tim Van der Linden.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2021

Algebras with representable representations

Just like group actions are represented by group automorphisms, Lie algebra actions are represented by derivations: up to isomorphism, a split extension of a Lie algebra $B$ by a Lie algebra $X$ corresponds to a Lie algebra morphism $B\to \mathit{Der}(X)$ from $B$ to the Lie algebra $\mathit{Der}(X)$ of derivations on $X$. In this article, we study the question whether the concept of a derivation can be extended to other types of non-associative algebras over a field $\mathbb{K}$, in such a way that these generalised derivations characterise the $\mathbb{K}$-algebra actions. We prove that the answer is no, as soon as the field $\mathbb{K}$ is infinite. In fact, we prove a stronger result: already the representability of all abelian actions -- which are usually called representations or Beck modules -- suffices for this to be true. Thus we characterise the variety of Lie algebras over an infinite field of characteristic different from $2$ as the only variety of non-associative algebras which is a non-abelian category with representable representations. This emphasises the unique role played by the Lie algebra of linear endomorphisms $\mathfrak{gl}(V)$ as a representing object for the representations on a vector space $V$.

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arXiv2021

Non-associative algebras

A non-associative algebra over a field $\mathbb{K}$ is a $\mathbb{K}$-vector space $A$ equipped with a bilinear operation \[ {A\times A\to A\colon\; (x,y)\mapsto x\cdot y=xy}. \] The collection of all non-associative algebras over $\mathbb{K}$, together with the product-preserving linear maps between them, forms a variety of algebras: the category $\mathsf{Alg}_\mathbb{K}$. The multiplication need not satisfy any additional properties, such as associativity or the existence of a unit. Familiar categories such as the varieties of associative algebras, Lie algebras, etc. may be found as subvarieties of $\mathsf{Alg}_\mathbb{K}$ by imposing equations, here $x(yz)=(xy)z$ (associativity) or $xy =- yx$ and $x(yz)+z(xy)+ y(zx)=0$ (anti-commutativity and the Jacobi identity), respectively. The aim of these lectures is to explain some basic notions of categorical algebra from the point of view of non-associative algebras, and vice versa. As a rule, the presence of the vector space structure makes things easier to understand here than in other, less richly structured categories. We explore concepts like normal subobjects and quotients, coproducts and protomodularity. On the other hand, we discuss the role of (non-associative) polynomials, homogeneous equations, and how additional equations lead to reflective subcategories.

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arXiv2020

Universal central extensions of internal crossed modules via the non-abelian tensor product

In the context of internal crossed modules over a fixed base object in a given semi-abelian category, we use the non-abelian tensor product in order to prove that an object is perfect (in an appropriate sense) if and only if it admits a universal central extension. This extends results of Brown-Loday (in the case of groups) and Edalatzadeh (in the case of Lie algebras). Our aim is to explain how those results can be understood in terms of categorical Galois theory: Edalatzadeh's interpretation in terms of quasi-pointed categories applies, but a more straightforward approach based on the theory developed in a pointed setting by Casas and the second author works as well.

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arXiv2019

Intrinsic Schreier split extensions

In the context of regular unital categories we introduce an intrinsic version of the notion of a Schreier split epimorphism, originally considered for monoids. We show that such split epimorphisms satisfy the same homological properties as Schreier split epimorphisms of monoids do. This gives rise to new examples of S-protomodular categories, and allows us to better understand the homological behaviour of monoids from a categorical perspective.

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arXiv2019

On the "three subobjects lemma" and its higher-order generalisations

We solve a problem mentioned in an article of Berger and Bourn: we prove that in the context of an algebraically coherent semi-abelian category, two natural definitions of the lower central series coincide. In a first, "standard" approach, nilpotency is defined as in group theory via nested binary commutators of the form $[[X,X],X]$. In a second approach, higher Higgins commutators of the form $[X,X,X]$ are used to define nilpotent objects. The two are known to be different in general; for instance, in the context of loops, the definition of Bruck is of the former kind, while the commutator-associator filtration of Mostovoy and his co-authors is of the latter type. Another example, in the context of Moufang loops, is given in Berger and Bourn's paper. In this article, we show that the two streams of development agree in any algebraically coherent semi-abelian category. Such are, for instance, all Orzech categories of interest. Our proof of this result is based on a higher-order version of the Three Subobjects Lemma of Cigoli-Gray-Van der Linden, which extends the classical Three Subgroups Lemma from group theory to categorical algebra. It says that any $n$-fold Higgins commutator $[K_1, \dots,K_n]$ of normal subobjects $K_i$ of an object $X$ may be decomposed into a join of nested binary commutators.

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arXiv2019

Compatible actions in semi-abelian categories

The concept of a pair of compatible actions was introduced in the case of groups by Brown and Loday and in the case of Lie algebras by Ellis. In this article we extend it to the context of semi-abelian categories (that satisfy the Smith-is-Huq condition). We give a new construction of the Peiffer product, which specialises to the definitions known for groups and Lie algebras. We use it to prove our main result, on the connection between pairs of compatible actions and pairs of crossed modules over a common base object. We also study the Peiffer product in its own right, in terms of its universal properties, and prove its equivalence with existing definitions in specific cases.

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arXiv2019

A characterisation of Lie algebras amongst anti-commutative algebras

Let $\mathbb{K}$ be an infinite field. We prove that if a variety of anti-commutative $\mathbb{K}$-algebras - not necessarily associative, where $xx=0$ is an identity - is locally algebraically cartesian closed, then it must be a variety of Lie algebras over $\mathbb{K}$. In particular, $\mathsf{Lie}_{\mathbb{K}}$ is the largest such. Thus, for a given variety of anti-commutative $\mathbb{K}$-algebras, the Jacobi identity becomes equivalent to a categorical condition: it is an identity in~$\mathcal{V}$ if and only if $\mathcal{V}$ is a subvariety of a locally algebraically cartesian closed variety of anti-commutative $\mathbb{K}$-algebras. This is based on a result saying that an algebraically coherent variety of anti-commutative $\mathbb{K}$-algebras is either a variety of Lie algebras or a variety of anti-associative algebras over $\mathbb{K}$.

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arXiv2018

A characterisation of Lie algebras via algebraic exponentiation

In this article we describe varieties of Lie algebras via algebraic exponentiation, a concept introduced by Gray in his Ph.D. thesis. For $\mathbb{K}$ an infinite field of characteristic different from $2$, we prove that the variety of Lie algebras over $\mathbb{K}$ is the only variety of non-associative $\mathbb{K}$-algebras which is a non-abelian locally algebraically cartesian closed (LACC) category. More generally, a variety of $n$-algebras $\mathcal{V}$ is a non-abelian (LACC) category if and only if $n=2$ and $\mathcal{V}=\mathsf{Lie}_\mathbb{K}$. In characteristic $2$ the situation is similar, but here we have to treat the identities $xx=0$ and $xy=-yx$ separately, since each of them gives rise to a variety of non-associative $\mathbb{K}$-algebras which is a non-abelian (LACC) category.

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arXiv2018

Higher extensions in exact Mal'tsev categories: distributivity of congruences and the $3^n$-Lemma

The aim of this article is to better understand the correspondence between $n$-cubic extensions and $3^n$-diagrams, which may be seen as non-abelian Yoneda extensions, useful in (co)homology of non-abelian algebraic structures. We study a higher-dimensional version of the coequaliser/kernel pair adjunction, which relates $n$-fold reflexive graphs with $n$-fold arrows in any exact Mal'tsev category. We first ask ourselves how this adjunction restricts to an equivalence of categories. This leads to the concept of an effective $n$-fold equivalence relation, corresponding to the $n$-fold regular epimorphisms. We characterise those in terms of what (when $n=2$) Bourn calls parallelistic $n$-fold equivalence relations. We then further restrict the equivalence, with the aim of characterising the $n$-cubic extensions. We find a congruence distributivity condition, resulting in a denormalised $3^n$-Lemma valid in exact Mal'tsev categories. We deduce a $3^n$-Lemma for short exact sequences in semi-abelian categories, which involves a distributivity condition between joins and meets of normal subobjects. This turns out to be new even in the abelian case.

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arXiv2017

Two characterisations of groups amongst monoids

The aim of this paper is to solve a problem proposed by Dominique Bourn: to provide a categorical-algebraic characterisation of groups amongst monoids and of rings amongst semirings. In the case of monoids, our solution is given by the following equivalent conditions: (i) $G$ is a group; (ii) $G$ is a Mal'tsev object, i.e., the category of points over $G$ in the category of monoids is unital; (iii) $G$ is a protomodular object, i.e., all points over $G$ are stably strong. We similarly characterise rings in the category of semirings. On the way we develop a local or object-wise approach to certain important conditions occurring in categorical algebra. This leads to a basic theory involving what we call unital and strongly unital objects, subtractive objects, Mal'tsev objects and protomodular objects. We explore some of the connections between these new notions and give examples and counterexamples.

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arXiv2017

A note on split extensions of bialgebras

We prove a universal characterization of Hopf algebras among cocommutative bialgebras over a field: a cocommutative bialgebra is a Hopf algebra precisely when every split extension over it admits a join decomposition. We also explain why this result cannot be extended to a non-cocommutative setting.

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arXiv2016

A criterion for reflectiveness of normal extensions

We give a new sufficient condition for the normal extensions in an admissible Galois structure to be reflective. We then show that this condition is indeed fulfilled when X is the (protomodular) reflective subcategory of S-special objects of a Barr-exact S-protomodular category C, where S is the class of split epimorphic trivial extensions in C. Next to some concrete examples where the criterion may be applied, we also study the adjunction between a Barr-exact unital category and its abelian core, which we prove to be admissible.

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arXiv2015

Algebraically coherent categories

We call a finitely complete category algebraically coherent when the change-of-base functors of its fibration of points are coherent, which means that they preserve finite limits and jointly strongly epimorphic pairs of arrows. We give examples of categories satisfying this condition; for instance, coherent categories, categories of interest in the sense of Orzech, and (compact) Hausdorff algebras over a semi-abelian algebraically coherent theory. We study equivalent conditions in the context of semi-abelian categories, as well as some of its consequences: including amongst others, strong protomodularity, and normality of Higgins commutators for normal subobjects, and in the varietal case, fibre-wise algebraic cartesian closedness.

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arXiv2015

The Yoneda isomorphism commutes with homology

We show that, for a right exact functor from an abelian category to abelian groups, Yoneda's isomorphism commutes with homology and, hence, with functor derivation. Then we extend this result to semiabelian domains. An interpretation in terms of satellites and higher central extensions follows. As an application, we develop semiabelian (higher) torsion theories and the associated theory of (higher) universal (central) extensions.

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arXiv2015

Higher central extensions and cohomology

We establish a Galois-theoretic interpretation of cohomology in semi-abelian categories: cohomology with trivial coefficients classifies central extensions, also in arbitrarily high degrees. This allows us to obtain a duality, in a certain sense, between "internal" homology and "external" cohomology in semi-abelian categories. These results depend on a geometric viewpoint of the concept of a higher central extension, as well as the algebraic one in terms of commutators.

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arXiv2014

Categories vs. groupoids via generalised Mal'tsev properties

We study the difference between internal categories and internal groupoids in terms of generalised Mal'tsev properties---the weak Mal'tsev property on the one hand, and $n$-permutability on the other. In the first part of the article we give conditions on internal categorical structures which detect whether the surrounding category is naturally Mal'tsev, Mal'tsev or weakly Mal'tsev. We show that these do not depend on the existence of binary products. In the second part we focus on varieties of algebras.

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arXiv2014

Peri-abelian categories and the universal central extension condition

We study the relation between Bourn's notion of peri-abelian category and conditions involving the coincidence of the Smith, Huq and Higgins commutators. In particular we show that a semi-abelian category is peri-abelian if and only if for each normal subobject $K\leq X$, the Higgins commutator of $K$ with itself coincides with the normalisation of the Smith commutator of the denormalisation of $K$ with itself. We show that if a category is peri-abelian, then the condition (UCE), which was introduced and studied by Casas and the second author, holds for that category. In addition we show, using amongst other things a result by Cigoli, that all categories of interest in the sense of Orzech are peri-abelian and therefore satisfy the condition (UCE).

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