Semisimple Hopf Algebras and Their Depth Two Hopf Subalgebras

We prove that a depth two Hopf subalgebra K of a semisimple Hopf algebra H is normal (where the ground field k is algebraically closed of characteristic zero). This means on the one hand that a Hopf subalgebra is normal when inducing (then restricting) modules several times as opposed to one time creates no new simple constituents. This point of view was taken in the paper [13] which established a normality result in case H and K are finite group algebras. On the other hand this means that K is normal in H when H | K is a Galois extension with respect to action of generalized bialgebras such as bialgebroids, weak Hopf algebras or Hopf algebroids. The generalized Galois picture of depth two is the point of view we take here: after showing the centralizer R is separable algebra via Hopf invariant theory, we compute that the depth two semisimple Hopf algebra pair H | K is free Frobenius extension with Markov trace satisfying all hypotheses considered in [14, Kadison and Nikshych, Frobenius Extensions and Weak Hopf Algebras]. By the main theorem in that paper it is then a Galois extension with action of semisimple weak Hopf algebra (also regular and possessing Haar integral). Then the Galois canonical isomorphism (via coring theory) restricted to integral induces algebra homomorphism from Hopf algebra into weak Hopf algebra with kernel HK = KH.