  We establish results about the second cohomology with coefficients in the
trivial module, symmetric invariant bilinear forms and derivations of a Lie
algebra extended over a commutative associative algebra without unit. These
results provide a simple unified approach to a number of questions treated
earlier in completely separated ways: periodization of semisimple Lie algebras
(Anna Larsson), derivation algebras, with prescribed semisimple part, of
nilpotent Lie algebras (Benoist), and presentations of affine Kac-Moody
algebras.
