On Lie algebra obstructions

A basic problem in the theory of Lie algebra extensions concerns a given homomorphism x of a Lie algebra L into the Lie algebra of outer derivations of a Lie algebra B . In analogy with the theory of group extensions, Mori and HochschiId developed the concept of an obstruction to x being the homomorphism defined by some Lie algebra extension of B by L . This note considers an alternative approach to this theory, which is particularly simple when applied to the problem of realizing arbitrary three-cohomology classes of L as obstructions. The approach is analogous to one for groups, which was given recently by Gruenberg.