On rigidity of Nichols algebras

Abstract

We study deformations of graded braided bialgebras using cohomological methods. In particular, we show that many examples of Nichols algebras, including the finite-dimensional ones arising in the Andruskiewitsch-Schneider program of classification of pointed Hopf algebras, are rigid. This result can be regarded as nonexistence of “braided Lie algebras” with nontrivial bracket.