THE CENTER OF THE CATEGORY OF BIMODULES AND DESCENT DATA FOR NONCOMMUTATIVE RINGS

Abstract

Let A be an algebra over a commutative ring k. We compute the center of the category of A-bimodules. There are six isomorphic descriptions: the center equals the weak center, and can be described as categories of noncommutative descent data, comodules over the Sweedler canonical A-coring, Yetter–Drinfeld type modules or modules with a flat connection from noncommutative differential geometry. All six isomorphic categories are braided monoidal categories: in particular, the category of comodules over the Sweedler canonical A-coring A ⊗ A is braided monoidal. We provide several applications: for instance, if A is finitely generated projective over k then the category of left End k(A)-modules is braided monoidal and we give an explicit description of the braiding in terms of the finite dual basis of A. As another application, new families of solutions for the quantum Yang–Baxter equation are constructed: they are canonical maps Ω associated to any right comodule over the Sweedler canonical coring A ⊗ A and satisfy the condition Ω3 = Ω. Explicit examples are provided.