Gamma homology, Lie representations and \(E_\infty\) multiplications (Q1396684)

This paper develops an obstruction theory to address the question of when a ring spectrum \(V\) admits an \(E_\infty\) structure. Provided \(V\) satisfies a perfect universal coefficient theorem and a flatness condition, the obstructions are shown to lie in the gamma cohomology of the Hopf algebroid \(V_*(V)\). Here gamma cohomology is defined for graded commutative algebras via an explicit bicomplex involving the two-sided bar construction on the symmetric groups and the duals of the symmetric group representations \(\text{Lie}_n\). This is a special case of a more general construction for \(\Gamma\)-modules (that is, functors from the category \(\Gamma\) of finite based sets to the category of \(k\)-modules, for a fixed commutative ring \(k\)). A functorial bicomplex \(\Xi(F)\) is defined for each \(\Gamma\)-module \(F\) and it is shown that the homology of \(\Xi(F)\) is the stable homotopy of \(F\). This is proved using methods of \textit{T. Pirashvili} and \textit{B. Richter} [Topology 39, 525-530 (2000; Zbl 0957.18005)]. Given a graded commutative \(A\)-algebra \(B\) and a \(B\) module \(G\), the bigraded gamma cohomology groups \(H\Gamma^{*,*}(B/A;G)\) then come from applying the general construction to the \(\Gamma\)-module \((B/A)^{\otimes\bullet}\otimes G\). This construction is shown to be consistent with the earlier definition of gamma cohomology in [\textit{A. Robinson} and \textit{S. Whitehouse}, Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 132, 197-234 (2002; Zbl 0997.18004)]. The current version has the advantage of a smaller and simpler bicomplex. The theory is known to agree with other approaches such as the topological André-Quillen cohomology of \textit{M. Basterra} [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 144, 111-143 (1999; Zbl 0937.55006)] and \textit{M. Basterra} and \textit{R. McCarthy} [Topology Appl. 121, 551-566 (2002; Zbl 1004.55003)]. The obstruction theory is carried out using a particular \(E_\infty\)-operad, a product of the Barratt-Eccles operad and a tree operad. The \(E_\infty\) structures are studied by an inductive procedure, using a diagonal filtration of the product operad to define an \(n\)-stage for an \(E_\infty\) structure. In particular, a \(2\)-stage is just a product \(V\wedge V\to V\); a \(3\)-stage incorporates an associativity homotopy and a commutativity homotopy. The obstruction to extending an \(n\)-stage to an \((n+1)\)-stage is shown to be a gamma cocycle. Moreover, given a fixed underlying \((n-1)\)-stage, the obstruction to extension to an \((n+1)\)-stage is precisely a gamma cohomology class in bidegree \((n,2-n)\). In particular, if we start from a homotopy commutative and homotopy associative \(V\) and if the gamma groups \(H\Gamma^{n,2-n}(V_*(V)/V_*;V_*)\) vanish for \(n\geq 4\), then \(V\) admits an \(E_\infty\) structure. If further \(H\Gamma^{n,1-n}(V_*(V)/V_*;V_*)=0\) for \(n\geq 3\) then this structure is unique up to homotopy. The Goerss-Hopkins result that certain Lubin-Tate spectra have unique \(E_\infty\) structures is recovered as a corollary.