Normality and Short Exact Sequences of Hopf-Galois Structures

Abstract

Every Hopf-Galois structure on a finite Galois extension $K/k$ where $G=Gal(K/k)$ corresponds uniquely to a regular subgroup $N\leq B=\operatorname{Perm}(G)$, normalized by $\lambda(G)\leq B$, in accordance with a theorem of Greither and Pareigis. The resulting Hopf algebra which acts on $K/k$ is $H_N=(K[N])^{\lambda(G)}$. For a given such $N$ we consider the Hopf-Galois structure arising from a subgroup $P\triangleleft N$ that is also normalized by $\lambda(G)$. This subgroup gives rise to a Hopf sub-algebra $H_P\subseteq H_N$ with fixed field $F=K^{H_P}$. By the work of Chase and Sweedler, this yields a Hopf-Galois structure on the extension $K/F$ where the action arises by base changing $H_P$ to $F\otimes_k H_P$ which is an $F$-Hopf algebra. We examine this analogy with classical Galois theory, and also examine how the Hopf-Galois structure on $K/F$ relates to that on $K/k$. We will also pay particular attention to how the Greither-Pareigis enumeration/construction of those $H_P$ acting on $K/F$ relates to that of the $H_N$ which act on $K/k$. In the process we also examine short exact sequences of the Hopf algebras which act, whose exactness is directly tied to the descent theoretic description of these algebras.