Algebras and Modules in Monoidal Model Categories

In recent years the theory of structured ring spectra (formerlyknown as A- and E-ring spectra) has been simplified by the discoveryof categories of spectra with strictly associative and commutativesmash products. Now a ring spectrum can simply be defined asa monoid with respect to the smash product in one of these newcategories of spectra. In this paper we provide a general methodfor constructing model category structures for categories ofring, algebra, and module spectra. This provides the necessaryinput for obtaining model categories of symmetric ring spectra,functors with smash product, Gamma-rings, and diagram ring spectra.Algebraic examples to which our methods apply include the stablemodule category over the group algebra of a finite group andunbounded chain complexes over a differential graded algebra.1991 Mathematics Subject Classification: primary 55U35; secondary18D10.