Algebra and Applications 2. Группа авторов
a distinguished element
subject to the associativity, unit and equivariance axioms of Proposition 1.13.
The global composition is defined by:
and is graphically represented as follows:
The operad
where we have denoted by the same letter γ the element of
Now let V be any k-vector space. The free -algebra is a
with the map ι being obviously defined. When V is of finite dimension d, the corresponding free
There are several other equivalent definitions for an operad. For more details about operads, see, for example, Loday (1996) and Loday and Vallette (2012).
1.5.4. A few examples of operads
1.5.4.1. The operad ASSOC
This operad governs associative algebras. ASSOCn is given by k[Sn] (the algebra of the symmetric group Sn) for any n ≥ 0, whereas ASSOC0 := {0}. The right action of Sn on ASSOCn is given by linear extension of right multiplication:
[1.70]
Let σ ∈ ASSOCk and
[1.71]
with the notations of equation [1.68]. The reader is invited to check the two associativity axioms, as well as the equivariance axiom which reads:
[1.72]
for any σ, σ′ ∈ ASSOCk and
Now let V be an algebra over the operad ASSOC, and let Φ : ASSOC → Endop(V) be the corresponding morphism of operads. Let μ : V ⊗ V → V be the binary operation Φ(e2). In view of equation [1.73] we have:
[1.74]
In other words, μ is associative. As ek can be obtained, for any k ≥ 3, by iteratively composing k – 2 times the element e2, we see that any element of ASSOCk can be obtained from e2, partial compositions, symmetric group actions and linear combinations. As a result, any k-ary operation on V, which is in the image of Φ, can be obtained in terms of the associative product μ, partial compositions, symmetric group actions and linear combinations. Summing up, an algebra over the operad ASSOC is nothing but an associative algebra. In view of equation [1.69], the free ASSOC-algebra over a vector space W is the (non-unital) tensor algebra
In the same line of thoughts, the operad governing unital associative algebras is defined similarly, except that the space of 0-ary operations is k.e0, with ek ∘i e0 = ek – 1 for any i = 1,…,k. The unit element u : k → V of the algebra V is given by u = Φ(e0). The free unital algebra over a vector space W is the full tensor algebra
1.5.4.2. The operad