Algebraic \(K\)-theory and abstract homotopy theory (Q626129)

This paper is concerned with the \(K\)-theory space \(K({\mathcal C})\) of a Waldhausen category \({\mathcal C}\). Let \(S_\bullet{\mathcal C}\) denote the simplicial Waldhausen category produced from \({\mathcal C}\) by means of the \(S_\bullet\) construction and \(\text{w}S_\bullet{\mathcal C}\) its subcategory of weak equivalences. It is known that the \(K\)-groups \(K_*({\mathcal C})\) of \({\mathcal C}\) are the homotopy groups \(\pi_{*+1}(|N(\text{w}S_\bullet{\mathcal C})|)\) where \(N\) denotes the simplicial nerve and \(| - |\) the geometric realization, which implies that \(K({\mathcal C})\) is \(\Omega |N (\text{w}S_\bullet{\mathcal C})|\) and the \(K\)-theory spectrum of \({\mathcal C}\) can be obtained by iterating the \(S_\bullet\) construction. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first to give a decomposition of this \(K\)-theory space in terms of its Dwyer-Kan simplicial localization; and second, with the help of this decomposition, to provide a criterion for functors to induce an equivalence of \(K\)-theory spectra. Throughout this paper, it is assumed that Waldhausen categories are saturated and admit (functorial) factorizations. Then the main results are stated as follows: {\parindent=6.5mm \begin{itemize}\item[(1)] For \(n > 1\), the nerve of \(\text{w}S_n{\mathcal C}\) is weakly equivalent to the homotopy coend of \(L{\mathcal C}(X_{n-1}, X_n) \times \dots \times L{\mathcal C}(X_1, X_2)\) indexed by \((X_1, \dots, X_n) \in\text{w}{\mathcal C}^n\) where \(L{\mathcal C}\) denotes the Dwyer-Kan hammock localization. \item[(2)] Under mild hypotheses, a weakly exact functor that induces an equivalence of homotopy categories induces an equivalence of \(K\)-theory spectra. The criterion obtained above generalizes the approximation theorem of \textit{R. W. Thomason} and \textit{T. Trobaugh} [``Higher algebraic K-theory of schemes and of derived categories'', The Grothendieck Festschrift, Prog. Math. 88, 247--435 (1990; Zbl 0731.14001)]. \end{itemize}} The key idea in the proofs is using the \(S'_\bullet\) construction instead of Waldhausen's \(S_\bullet\) construction, which is the homotopical variant of the \(S_\bullet\) construction introduced by the authors [Acta Math. 200, No. 2, 155--179 (2008; Zbl 1149.18008)]. Actually the proof of (2) is mainly a consequence of a version of (1), (\(1'\)), in which \(\text{w}S_\bullet{\mathcal C}\) is replaced by \(\text{w}S'_\bullet{\mathcal C}\). This approach relies on two facts: One is that the inclusion \(\text{w}S_n{\mathcal C} \to\text{w}S'_n{\mathcal C}\) induces a weak equivalence on nerves for each \(n\). The other indicates the advantage of using the \(S'_\bullet\) construction that it preserves the required properties of Waldhausen categories, which allows one to successively apply (\(1'\)) to \({\mathcal C}, S'_\bullet{\mathcal C}, S'_\bullet S'_\bullet{\mathcal C}, \dots \). In consequence one finds that the \(K\)-theory spectrum of \({\mathcal C}\) can be constructed from the \(S'_\bullet\) construction. That is, it means that the argument made here proceeds based on comparing the \(S_\bullet\) construction with the \(S'_\bullet\) construction. The authors also consider criteria for determining when a functor inducing an equivalence of homotopy categories becomes a functor that induces a weak equivalence of Dwyer-Kan simplicial localizations. By observing the results obtained, it is easily seen that an exact functor having Waldhausen's approximation property is just such a functor. Finally, in the appendices the authors discuss the non functorial case. It is also remarked that the same result as (2) is proved using different techniques as by \textit{D.-C. Cisinski} [J. \(K\)-Theory 6, No.~3, 505--546 (2010; Zbl 1230.19002)].