TITLE: Antipode of Hopf algebra in braided monoidal category is an algebra antihomomorphism?
QUESTION [10 upvotes]: I realize that the question posed in the title has already been addressed here: Identities that connect antipode with multiplication and comultiplication, where the graphical calculus proof provided by Majid is cited. However, I am wondering if there is a more algebraic proof that can be formulated without the use of graphical calculus. 
If we have a Hopf algebra $(H, \mu, \eta, \Delta, \varepsilon, S)$ in the category of vector spaces, where $\mu$ is the multiplication map, $\eta$ is the unit map, $\Delta$ is the comultiplication, $\varepsilon$ is the counit, and $S$ is the antipode, then one can show that $S \circ \mu$ is a left convolution inverse of $\mu$ and that $\mu \circ \tau \circ (S \otimes S)$ is a right convolution inverse of $\mu$ (where $\tau$ is the flip map). From here, then $S \circ \mu = \mu \circ \tau \circ (S \otimes S)$.
I am aiming to replicate the above proof for an arbitrary braided monoidal category, replacing the flip map $\tau$ with a braiding $\sigma$. Showing that $S \circ \mu$ is a left convolution inverse of $\mu$ is easy, just using that the comultiplication $\Delta$ is an algebra homomorphism. I can not seem to get that $\mu \circ \sigma \circ (S \otimes S)$ is a right convolution inverse of $\mu$, however. We should have
\begin{align*}
&\mu \ast (\mu \circ \sigma \circ (S \otimes S))\\
&= \mu \circ (\mu \otimes \mu) \circ (\operatorname{id} \otimes \operatorname{id} \otimes \sigma) \circ (\operatorname{id} \otimes \operatorname{id} \otimes S \otimes S) \circ (\operatorname{id} \otimes \sigma \otimes \operatorname{id}) \circ (\Delta \otimes \Delta)
\end{align*}
but I can not see how to get anywhere with this, particularly trying to figure out what to do with the map $\operatorname{id} \otimes \operatorname{id} \otimes \sigma$. It seems as though the antipode equation for $H \otimes H$ should be used, but I am not quite sure how to implement it. Any ideas would be appreciated.

REPLY [4 votes]: This idea should work and Majid's proof uses this. I think your reasoning illustrates how the proof is related to the one in the (non braided) Hopf algebra case.
You can verify that $\mu\circ \sigma\circ(S\otimes S)$ indeed is a right convolution inverse of $\mu$ as follows. First, by naturality of $\sigma$ twice you get 
\begin{align*}
&\mu \circ (\mu \otimes \mu) \circ (\operatorname{id} \otimes \operatorname{id} \otimes \sigma) \circ (\operatorname{id} \otimes \operatorname{id} \otimes S \otimes S) \circ (\operatorname{id} \otimes \sigma \otimes \operatorname{id}) \circ (\Delta \otimes \Delta)\\
&=\mu \circ (\mu \otimes \mu(S\otimes\operatorname{id})) \circ (\operatorname{id} \otimes \operatorname{id} \otimes \sigma) \circ  (\operatorname{id} \otimes \sigma \otimes \operatorname{id}) \circ ((\operatorname{id}\otimes S)\Delta \otimes \Delta).
\end{align*}
Then apply naturality of braiding (after using the Yang-Baxter equation of the braiding) to $\Delta$, yielding that the above equals (if you also use associativity of multiplication twice)
\begin{align*}
\mu\circ(\mu\otimes \operatorname{id})\circ(\operatorname{id}\otimes \mu(\operatorname{id}\otimes S)\Delta\otimes \operatorname{id})\circ(\operatorname{id}\otimes \sigma)\circ((\operatorname{id}\otimes S)\Delta \otimes \Delta).
\end{align*}
Here, you can find the term $\mu(\operatorname{id}\otimes S)\Delta$ which equals $1\circ\varepsilon$ and simplifies everything (under use of the axioms of the unit), to 
$$(\mu(\operatorname{id}\otimes S)\Delta)\otimes \varepsilon$$ which now gives $1\circ(\varepsilon\otimes \varepsilon)$. 
You need to convince yourself that if a map has a right and left convolution inverse, they are equal. The same proof of this fact also works in a braided monoidal category as it only uses (co)associativity. Note that this does not require that $H\otimes H$ is a Hopf algebra (which it is not in general). However, $H\otimes H$ is both a coalgebra and algebra and this is all we need.
The above reasoning will again be more clear to me when using graphical calculus. Without it, I would have a hard time coming up with the steps necessary:

(Note that the functional identities above do repress $\circ$ when it appears  within tensor product legs)