A generalization of the Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence (Q1360318)

The Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence is a powerful tool for the computation of \(h_*(X)\) when \(h_*\) is a generalized homology theory. The \(E^2\)-term is based on ordinary homology with coefficients in the graded group \(h_*\)(point). In this paper a spectral sequence is associated to an endofunctor \(F\) on the category of CW-complexes that preserves inclusions. The abutment of the spectral sequence for a space \(X\) is \(H_*(F(X))\). The \(E^2\)-term is determined from the usual exact couple defined from the cellular filtration and the exact sequences for triples of subcomplexes. The main theorems are (1) to give conditions under which the spectral sequence associated to \(F\) collapses at \(E^2\). The authors call \(F\) homologically stable when the image \(H_n(F(X^p)) \to H_n(F(X^{p+1}))\) is carried isomorphically by the mapping induced by the inclusion \(F(X^{p+1}) \hookrightarrow F(X)\) to the image of the inclusion \(F(X^p) \hookrightarrow F(X)\). (This condition can be analyzed by the use of limits from the exact couple.) In fact, \(F\) is homologically stable if and only if the spectral sequence collapses at \(E^2\) for all CW-complexes \(X\). (2) For what functors \(F\) is the functor \(X \mapsto H_*(F(X))\) a generalized homology theory? The authors identify the property of being homotopy exact as the appropriate condition which requires \(F\) take cofibrations to cofibrations and homotopy co-Cartesian diagrams to homotopy co-Cartesian diagrams. When this condition holds, the spectral sequence associated to \(F\) is the Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence. The method of proof is the use of the Dold-Thom Theorem for the symmetric power construction \(SP^m(X)\) and the fact that \(SP^m\) is homologically stable.