\(H_{\infty}\) ring spectra and their applications (Q1070578)

This volume is a collection of individual contributions to that part of homotopy theory which deals with \(H_{\infty}\)-spectra. An \(H_{\infty}\)-spectrum is a stable homotopy spectrum with the sort of enriched structure which one encounters frequently (in spectra associated with infinite loop space theory). These enriched structures have been known and used in an ad hoc manner for some time in stable splittings of loop spaces, in the constructions of operations in stable homotopy and in the proof of nilpotency results in stable homotopy, for example. The first two chapters (by \textit{J. P. May}) review the definitions and recall a number of applications of the type mentioned above. In this section, I had not seen J. S. D. Jone's proof of the Kahn-Priddy theorem before (although it is no more economical then the proof which follows from the reviewer's stable splitting of \(QS^ 1).\) \textit{M. Steinberger}, in Chapter III, develops the theory of homology operations in the mod p homology of an \(H_{\infty}\)-spectrum, by analogy with the familiar Kudo-Araki, Dyer-Lashof type of operations for iterated loop spaces. These results are used to establish a criterion for an \(H_{\infty}\)-spectrum to split as a generalized Eilenberg-Maclane spectrum. This criterion applies to many Thom spectra. Chapters IV-VI, by \textit{R. R. Bruner}, analyse the homology operations and their behaviour with respect to the Adams spectral sequence of an \(H_{\infty}\)-spectrum. Systematically exploiting Milgram's ''delayed'' Adams spectral sequence he obtains information concerning the differentials. These techniques have enabled Bruner to find differentials, in the classical Adams spectral sequence for spheres, which had been incorrectly calculated by previous workers. In Chapters VII-IX, \textit{J. E. McClure} analyses the K-theory spectrum. Particularly important is his method for defining K-theory homology operations. These generalize the reviewer's Dyer-Lashof operations in K- theory (which compare to McClure's operations like a model T-Ford to a Toyota). For example, McClure can calculate the algebra \(K_*(\Omega^{\infty} \Sigma^{\infty} X; {\mathbb{Z}}/p)\) for any space X. For example, \(X={\mathbb{R}}P^ m\), \(p=2\) is a particularly important case because of its relation with the Kervaire invariant problem and with unstable versions of the Kahn-Priddy theorem.