Probabilistically nilpotent Hopf algebras

Abstract

In this paper we investigate nilpotenct and probabilistically nilpotent Hopf algebras. We define nilpotency via a descending chain of commutators and give a criterion for nilpotency via a family of central invertible elements. These elements can be obtained from a {\it commutator matrix} $A$ which depends only on the Grothendieck ring of $H.$ When $H$ is almost cocommutative we introduce a probabilistic method. We prove that every semisimple quasitriangular Hopf algebra is probabilistically nilpotent. In a sense we thereby answer the title of our paper {\it Are we counting or measuring anything?} by {\it Yes we are}.