On products in algebraic \(K\)-theory (Q1125564)

The main result of this paper concerns the \(K\)-theory product and the Hurewicz homomorphism: For any ring \(R\) and any integer \(i\geq 2\), the image of the \(K\)-theory product \(*:K_i(R)\otimes K_1(\mathbb{Z})\to K_{i+1}(R)\) is contained in the kernel of the Hurewicz homomorphisms \(h_{i+1}: K_{i+1}(R)\to H_{i+1} GL(R)\) and \(h_{i+1}: K_{i+1}(R)\to H_{i+1} E(R)\); the same holds for \(h_{i+1}: K_{i+1}(R)\to H_{i+1} St(R)\) if \(i\geq 3\). In low dimensions (i.e., in dimension 3, 4 and 5), the authors prove more precise exactness results. Their argument is based on an analysis of the stable Hurewicz homomorphism between algebraic \(K\)-theory and the homology of the \(K\)-theory spectrum. In the second half of the paper, the authors calculate the products \(K_i(\mathbb{Z})* K_k(\mathbb{Z})\) in low dimensions. Furthermore, they use results of Bökstedt, Voevodsky, Rognes and Weibel to calculate the product \(K_1(\mathbb{Z}) \otimes K_k(\mathbb{Z})\to K_{i+k}(\mathbb{Z})\to K_{i+k}(\mathbb{Z}) \otimes \widehat{\mathbb{Z}}_2\) (where \(\widehat{\mathbb{Z}}_2\) denotes the ring of 2-adic integers): The 2-adic product \(*: K_i(\mathbb{Z}) \otimes K_k(\mathbb{Z})\to K_{i+k} (\mathbb{Z}) \otimes \widehat{\mathbb{Z}}_2\) is trivial for all positive integer \(i\) and \(k\), except if \(i \equiv k\equiv 1\pmod 8\) or \(i\equiv 1\pmod 8\) and \(k\equiv 2\pmod 8\) (or \(i\equiv 2\pmod 8\) and \(k\equiv 1\pmod 8\)) where its image is cyclic of order 2. However, although the 2-adic product is almost zero, the authors prove that for a cyclotomic field \(E\) obtained by adjoining a primitive \(\ell^m\)-th root of unity to \(\mathbb{Q}\), where \(\ell\) is an odd prime, the product homomorphism \(*: K_1(E) \otimes K_{2n-1} (E)_\ell\to K_{2n} (E)_\ell\) has a large image.