Hochschild Cohomology and Representation-Finite Algebras

Using Grothendieck's semicontinuity theorem for half-exact functors,we derive two semicontinuity results on Hochschild cohomology.We apply these to show that the first Hochschild cohomogy groupof the mesh algebra of a translation quiver over a domain vanishesif and only if the translation quiver is simply connected. Wethen establish an exact sequence relating the first Hochschildcohomology group of an algebra to that of the endomorphism algebraof a module and apply it to study the first Hochschild cohomologygroup of an Auslander algebra. Our main result shows that fora finite-dimensional and representation-finite algebra algebraA over an algebraically closed field with Auslander algebra the following conditions are equivalent:

1. (1)A admits no outer derivation;
2. (2) admits no outer derivations;
3. (3) A is simply connected;
4. (4) is strongly simply connected.

. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification 16E30, 16G30.