Solvable Lie algebras are not that hypo

We study a type of left-invariant structure on Lie groups or, equivalently, on Lie algebras. We introduce obstructions to the existence of a hypo structure, namely the five-dimensional geometry of hypersurfaces in manifolds with holonomy SU(3). The choice of a splitting g* = V-1 circle plus V-2, and the vanishing of certain associated cohomology groups, determine a first obstruction. We also construct necessary conditions for the existence of a hypo structure with a fixed almost-contact form. For nonunimodular Lie algebras, we derive an obstruction to the existence of a hypo structure, with no choice involved. We apply these methods to classify solvable Lie algebras that admit a hypo structure.