Algebraic K-theory and abstract homotopy theory

We decompose the K-theory space of a Waldhausen category in terms of its Dwyer–Kan simplicial localization. This leads to a criterion for functors to induce equivalences of K-theory spectra that generalizes and explains many of the criteria appearing in the literature. We show that under mild hypotheses, a weakly exact functor that induces an equivalence of homotopy categories induces an equivalence of K-theory spectra.     

A remark on K-theory and S-categories

It is now well known that the K-theory of a Waldhausen category depends on more than just its (triangulated) homotopy category (Invent. Math. 150 (2002) 111). The purpose of this note is to show that the K-theory spectrum of a (good) Waldhausen category is completely determined by its Dwyer-Kan simplicial localization, without any additional structure. As the simplicial localization is a refined version of the homotopy category which also determines the triangulated structure, our result is a possible answer to the general question: “To which extent K-theory is not an invariant of triangulated derived categories? ”     

Lifting homotopy T-algebra maps to strict maps

The settings for homotopical algebra—categories such as simplicial groups, simplicial rings, _A∞$A_{\infty }$ spaces, _E∞$E_{\infty }$ ring spectra, etc.—are often equivalent to categories of algebras over some monad or triple T. In such cases, T is acting on a nice simplicial model category in such a way that T descends to a monad on the homotopy category and defines a category of homotopy T-algebras. In this setting there is a forgetful functor from the homotopy category of T-algebras to the category of homotopy T-algebras.     

Calculus of functors and model categories

The category of small covariant functors from simplicial sets to simplicial sets supports the projective model structure [B. Chorny, W.G. Dwyer, Homotopy theory of small diagrams over large categories, preprint, 2005]. In this paper we construct various localizations of the projective model structure and also give a variant for functors from simplicial sets to spectra. We apply these model categories in the study of calculus of functors, namely for a classification of polynomial and homogeneous functors. In the n-homogeneous model structure, the nth derivative is a Quillen functor to the category of spectra with Σn-action. After taking into account only finitary functors—which may be done in two different ways—the above Quillen map becomes a Quillen equivalence. This improves the classification of finitary homogeneous functors by T.G. Goodwillie [T.G. Goodwillie, Calculus. III. Taylor series, Geom. Topol. 7 (2003) 645-711 (electronic)].     

A discrete homotopy theory for binary reflexive structures

We present a simple combinatorial construction of a sequence of functors σ_k from the category of pointed binary reflexive structures to the category of groups. We prove that if the relational structure is a poset P then the groups are (naturally) isomorphic to the homotopy groups of P when viewed as a topological space with the topology of ideals, or equivalently, to the homotopy groups of the simplicial complex associated to P. We deduce that the group σ_k(X,x₀) of the pointed structure (X,x₀) is (naturally) isomorphic to the kth homotopy group of the simplicial complex of simplices of X, i.e. those subsets of X which are the homomorphic image of a finite totally ordered set.     

An equivariant tensor product on Mackey functors

For all subgroups H of a cyclic p-group G we define norm functors that build a G-Mackey functor from an H-Mackey functor. We give an explicit construction of these functors in terms of generators and relations based solely on the intrinsic, algebraic properties of Mackey functors and Tambara functors. We use these norm functors to define a monoidal structure on the category of Mackey functors where Tambara functors are the commutative ring objects.     

Representability theorems for presheaves of spectra

Suppose that M is a simplicial model category and that F is a contravariant simplicial functor defined on M which takes values in pointed simplicial sets. This note displays conditions on the simplicial model category M and the functor F such that F is representable up to weak equivalence. The conditions on F are homotopy coherent versions of the classical conditions for Brown representability, while M should have the fundamental properties of the stable model structure for presheaves of spectra on a Grothendieck site.     

The 1-type of a Waldhausen K-theory spectrum

We give a small functorial algebraic model for the 2-stage Postnikov section of the K-theory spectrum of a Waldhausen category and use our presentation to describe the multiplicative structure with respect to biexact functors.     

Rings, modules, and algebras in infinite loop space theory

We give a new construction of the algebraic K-theory of small permutative categories that preserves multiplicative structure, and therefore allows us to give a unified treatment of rings, modules, and algebras in both the input and output. This requires us to define multiplicative structure on the category of small permutative categories. The framework we use is the concept of multicategory (elsewhere also called colored operad), a generalization of symmetric monoidal category that precisely captures the multiplicative structure we have present at all stages of the construction. Our method ends up in the Hovey-Shipley-Smith category of symmetric spectra, with an intermediate stop at a category of functors out of a particular wreath product.     

Brown representability for space-valued functors

In this paper we prove two theorems which resemble the classical cohomological and homological Brown representability theorems. The main difference is that our results classify contravariant functors from spaces to spaces up to weak equivalence of functors. In more detail, we show that every contravariant functor from spaces to spaces which takes coproducts to products up to homotopy, and takes homotopy pushouts to homotopy pullbacks is naturally weakly equivalent to a representable functor. The second representability theorem states: every contravariant continuous functor from the category of finite simplicial sets to simplicial sets taking homotopy pushouts to homotopy pullbacks is equivalent to the restriction of a representable functor. This theorem may be considered as a contravariant analog of Goodwillie’s classification of linear functors [14].     

Interpolation categories for homology theories

For a homological functor from a triangulated category to an abelian category satisfying some technical assumptions, we construct a tower of interpolation categories. These are categories over which the functor factorizes and which capture more and more information according to the injective dimension of the images of the functor. The categories are obtained by using truncated versions of resolution model structures. Examples of functors fitting in our framework are given by every generalized homology theory represented by a ring spectrum satisfying the Adams-Atiyah condition. The constructions are closely related to the modified Adams spectral sequence and give a very conceptual approach to the associated moduli problem and obstruction theory. As an application, we establish an isomorphism between certain E(n)-local Picard groups and some Ext-groups.     

CATEGORICAL HOMOTOPY

We present a homotopy theory of small categories. In a work of this nature there is a need to give a theory which is clear and which shows the methods of work in this field. It is also necessary to prove theorems which place the theory within the general framework of homotopy, i.e. particularly to liaise with the homotopy of topological spaces and with abstract homotopy theories. Firstly we define the important notion of finite functor on which the theory is based. Next we introduce a type of fibred category fitting to the work on homotopy. After having studied the paths and loops of a category, we consider homotopy between functors. Finally, we demonstrate the possibility of obtaining homotopy groups before taking into consideration the relations between categorical and topological homotopy.     

Isomorphism Conjecture for homotopy K-theory and groups acting on trees

We discuss an analogon to the Farrell-Jones Conjecture for homotopy algebraic K-theory. In particular, we prove that if a group G acts on a tree and all isotropy groups satisfy this conjecture, then G satisfies this conjecture. This result can be used to get rational injectivity results for the assembly map in the Farrell-Jones Conjecture in algebraic K-theory.     

Krull-Schmidt decompositions for thick subcategories

Following H. Krause [Decomposing thick subcategories of the stable module category, Math. Ann. 313 (1) (1999) 95-108], we prove Krull-Schmidt type decomposition theorems for thick subcategories of various triangulated categories including the derived categories of rings, Noetherian stable homotopy categories, stable module categories over Hopf algebras, and the stable homotopy category of spectra. In all these categories, it is shown that the thick ideals of small objects decompose uniquely into indecomposable thick ideals. We also discuss some consequences of these decomposition results. In particular, it is shown that all these decompositions respect K-theory.     

An “almost” full embedding of the category of graphs into the category of groups

We construct a functor F:Graphs→Groups which is faithful and “almost” full, in the sense that every nontrivial group homomorphism FX→FY is a composition of an inner automorphism of FY and a homomorphism of the form Ff, for a unique map of graphs f:X→Y. When F is composed with the Eilenberg-Mac Lane space construction K(FX,1) we obtain an embedding of the category of graphs into the unpointed homotopy category which is full up to null-homotopic maps.We provide several applications of this construction to localizations (i.e. idempotent functors); we show that the questions:

(1)

Is every orthogonality class reflective?

(2)

Is every orthogonality class a small-orthogonality class?

have the same answers in the category of groups as in the category of graphs. In other words they depend on set theory: (1) is equivalent to weak Vopěnka's principle and (2) to Vopěnka's principle. Additionally, the second question, considered in the homotopy category, is also equivalent to Vopěnka's principle.     

Bredon homology and ramified covering G-maps

Let G be a finite group. The objective of this paper is twofold. First we prove that the cellular Bredon homology groups with coefficients in an arbitrary coefficient system M are isomorphic to the homotopy groups of certain topological abelian group. And second, we study ramified covering G-maps of simplicial sets and of simplicial complexes. As an application, we construct a transfer for them in Bredon homology, when M is a Mackey functor. We also show that the Bredon-Illman homology with coefficients in M satisfies the equivariant weak homotopy equivalence axiom in the category of G-spaces.     

An operadic model for a mapping space and its associated spectral sequence

Let X and Y be simplicial sets and K a field. In [B. Fresse, Derived division functors and mapping spaces, 2002, Preprint arXiv:math.At/0208091], Fresse has constructed an algebra model over an E_∞K-operad E for the mapping space F(X,Y), whose source X is finite, provided the homotopy groups of the target Y are finite. In this paper, we show that if the underlying field K is the closure of the finite field F_p and the given mapping space is connected, then the finiteness assumption of the homotopy group of Y can be dropped in constructing the E-algebra model. Moreover, we give a spectral sequence converging to the cohomology of F(X,Y) with coefficients in , whose E₂-term is expressed via Lannes’ division functor in the category of unstable -algebra over the Steenrod algebra.     

Rigidity for orientable functors

In the following paper we introduce the notion of orientable functor (orientable cohomology theory) on the category of projective smooth schemes and define a family of transfer maps. Applying this technique, we prove that with finite coefficients orientable cohomology of a projective variety is invariant with respect to the base-change given by an extension of algebraically closed fields. This statement generalizes the classical result of Suslin, concerning algebraic K-theory of algebraically closed fields. Besides K-theory, we treat such examples of orientable functors as etale cohomology, motivic cohomology, algebraic cobordism. We also demonstrate a method to endow algebraic cobordism with multiplicative structure and Chern classes.