Hopf Algebras in General and in Combinatorial Physics: a practical introduction (0802.0249v1)

Abstract: This tutorial is intended to give an accessible introduction to Hopf algebras. The mathematical context is that of representation theory, and we also illustrate the structures with examples taken from combinatorics and quantum physics, showing that in this latter case the axioms of Hopf algebra arise naturally. The text contains many exercises, some taken from physics, aimed at expanding and exemplifying the concepts introduced.