ON NICHOLS ALGEBRAS OVER PGL(2, q) AND PSL(2, q)

Abstract

We compute necessary conditions on Yetter–Drinfeld modules over the groups PGL(2, q) = PGL(2, 𝔽q) and PSL(2, q) = PSL(2, 𝔽q) to generate finite-dimensional Nichols algebras. This is a first step towards a classification of pointed Hopf algebras with group of group-likes isomorphic to one of these groups. As a by-product of the techniques developed in this work, we prove that any finite-dimensional pointed Hopf algebra over the Mathieu groups M20 or M21 = PSL(3, 4) is the group algebra.