On the Hopf ring for the sphere (Q1358217)

To a ring spectrum \(G\), there is a family of infinite loop spaces \(\{{\mathbf G}_k\}\) that represent the cohomology theory associated to \(G\). The bigraded object \(\{H_*({\mathbf G}_k)\}\) is a ring object in the category of coalgebras, a Hopf ring. The determination of the structure of Hopf rings for the most familiar spectra is a difficult computation with important consequences. In this paper, the authors build on the work of \textit{P. R. Turner} [ibid., 209-228 (1997; Zbl 0890.55011), see the review below] to prime the pump for a computation of a subring of the full Hopf ring \(\{H_*(QS^k)\}\) with mod 2 coefficients. The main tool of computation is the bar spectral sequence with its pairing that represents the multiplicative pairing of the ring spectrum. Turner's explicit representation of the \(H_*(QS^0)\) in terms of Dickson coinvariants allows the explicit determination of \(H_*(QS^k)\) through the bar spectral sequence. The identification of the Hopf ring structure is possible because Turner's generators are understood in terms of this extra product. The nice expression of the final structure is in terms of the free Hopf ring functor of Ravenel and Wilson modulo certain simple relations.