Extending structures II: The quantum version

Let A be a Hopf algebra and H a coalgebra. We shall describe and classify up to an isomorphism all Hopf algebras E that factorize through A and H: that is E is a Hopf algebra such that A is a Hopf subalgebra of E, H is a subcoalgebra in E with 1E∈H and the multiplication map A⊗H→E is bijective. The tool we use is a new product, we call it the unified product, in the construction of which A and H are connected by three coalgebra maps: two actions and a generalized cocycle. Both the crossed product of an Hopf algebra acting on an algebra and the bicrossed product of two Hopf algebras are special cases of the unified product. A Hopf algebra E factorizes through A and H if and only if E is isomorphic to a unified product of A and H. All such Hopf algebras E are classified up to an isomorphism that stabilizes A and H by a Schreier type classification theorem. A coalgebra version of lazy 1-cocycles as defined by Bichon and Kassel plays the key role in the classification theorem.