TWISTING 2-COCYCLES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW NONSTANDARD QUANTUM GROUPS

We introduce a new class of 2-cocycles defined explicitly on the gener ators of certain multiparameter standard quantum groups. These allow u s, through the process of twisting the familiar standard quantum group s, to generate new as well as previously known examples of non-standar d quantum groups. In particular we are able to construct generalisatio ns of both the Cremmer-Gervais deformation of SL(3) and the so called esoteric quantum groups of Fronsdal and Galindo in an explicit and str aightforward manner. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.