The slice spectral sequence for the \(C_{4}\) analog of real \(K\)-theory (Q516949)

In their important and influential paper [Ann. Math. (2) 184, No. 1, 1--262 (2016; Zbl 1366.55007)], the authors of the paper under review solved the Kervaire invariant problem in all dimensions except 126. In the present paper, they analyze the equivariant homotopy groups of a 32-periodic \(C_4\)-equivariant spectrum \(K_{[2]}\) which is related to the spectrum that was used to detect the Kervaire invariant elements. The authors' motivation for considering the spectrum \(K_{[2]}\) is that it is part of a family of spectra \(K_{[n]}\) which arise in the following way. The complex cobordism spectrum MU can be viewed as a \(C_2\)-equivariant spectrum. By a norm construction, it gives rise to a \(C_{2^n}\)-equivariant spectrum \(N^{2^n}_2\)MU whose underlying non-equivariant spectrum is a smash power of MU. Then \(k_{[n]}\) is defined to be the \(C_{2^n}\)-equivariant spectrum obtained by killing all polynomial generators in the homotopy groups of \(N^{2^n}_2\)MU above degree \(2\). The spectrum \(K_{[n]}\) is the mapping telescope of \(k_{[n]}\) formed with respect to a certain equivariant homotopy class \(D\), and the spectrum KO\(_{[n]}\) is defined to be the fixed point spectrum of \(K_{[n]}\). The interest in these spectra comes from the fact that the \(C_2\)-equivariant spectrum \(K_{[1]}\) is Atiyah's real \(K\)-theory spectrum \(K_{\mathbb R}\) and KO\(_{[1]}\) is the ordinary real \(K\)-theory spectrum KO, while KO\(_{[3]}\) shares important properties of the spectrum \(\Omega\) considered in [loc. cit.] and can be used to detect Kervaire invariant elements. The last open case of the Kervaire invariant problem draws attention to the 126-stem of the spectrum KO\(_{[3]}\), whose computation is currently out of reach. The paper under review addresses the easier computation of the equivariant homotopy groups of the \(C_4\)-equivariant spectrum \(K_{[2]}\), and the authors hope that some of the techniques developed here may become relevant for the analysis of \(K_{[3]}\) and KO\(_{[3]}\). The body of the paper is concerned with setting up and analyzing the slice spectral sequences for \(k_{[2]}\) and \(K_{[2]}\), including its differentials and exotic Mackey functor extensions. These computations turn out to be considerably more complicated than the corresponding results for \(K_{[1]}\) established by \textit{D. Dugger} [\(K\)-Theory 35, No. 3--4, 213--256 (2005; Zbl 1109.14024)].