Three lectures on quantum groups: Representations, duality, real forms

Quantum groups appeared first as quantum algebra, i.e. as one parameter deformations of the numerical enveloping algebras of complex Lie algebras, in the study of the algebraic aspects of quantum integrable systems. Then quantum algebras related to triparametric solutions of the quantum Yang-Baxter equation were axiomatically introduced as (pseudo) quasi-triangular Hopf algebras. Later, a theory of formal deformations has been developed and the notion of quasi-Hopf algebra has been introduced. In other approaches to quantum groups the objects are called quantum matrix groups and are Hopf algebras in chirality to the quantum algebras. The representations of Uq(G), the chirality and the real forms associated to these approaches are discussed here. Refs