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We define self-distributive structures in the categories of coalgebras and cocommutative coalgebras. We obtain examples from vector spaces whose bases are the elements of finite quandles, the direct sum of a Lie algebra with its ground field, and Hopf algebras. The self-distributive operations of these structures provide solutions of the Yang–Baxter equation, and, conversely, solutions of the Yang–Baxter equation can be used to construct self-distributive operations in certain categories. Moreover, we present a cohomology theory that encompasses both Lie algebra and quandle cohomologies, is analogous to Hochschild cohomology, and can be used to study deformations of these self-distributive structures. All of the work here is informed via diagrammatic computations.
© 2008, J. Scott Carter, Alissa S. Crans, Mohamed Elhamdadi and Masahico Saito.