Generalised Deformations, Koszul Resolutions, Moyal Products

1998

We generalise Gerstenhaber's theory of deformations, by dropping the assumption that the deformation parameter should commute with the elements of the original algebra. We give the associated cohomology and construct a Koszul resolution for the polynomial algebra [Formula: see text] in the "homogeneous" case. We then develop examples in the case of [Formula: see text] and find some Moyal-like products of a new type. Finally, we show that, for any field K, matrix algebras with coefficients in K and finite degree extensions of K are rigid, as in the commutative case.