Algebraic \(K\)-theory and the conjectural Leibniz \(K\)-theory (Q1431750)

This expository article offers a well-organized overview of some results in algebraic K-theory, cyclic homology and Leibniz homology, followed by a conjectural motivic complex based on a yet-to-be defined Leibniz homology of a group (coquecigrue). For a ring \(A\), recall that rationally \[ H_* (GL(A); \, \mathbb Q ) \simeq \Lambda ( K_* (A)_{\mathbb Q}), \] where \(H_*\) on the left denotes group homology and \(\Lambda\) is the graded symmetric power functor. The additive version of this result is the Loday-Quillen-Tsygan theorem \[ H_* (gl(A)); \, \mathbb Q ) \simeq \Lambda ( HC_{*-1} (A)), \] where \(H_*\) now denotes Lie-algebra homology and \(HC_*\) is cyclic homology (computed over \(\mathbb Q\)) [see \textit{J.-L. Loday}, ``Cyclic Homology'', Grundl. Math. Wiss. 301, 2nd ed. (1998; Zbl 0885.18007)]. The motivational idea of the paper is to find a chain complex that plays the role of cyclic homology in the original multiplicitive setting, and thus reduce the calculation of K-theory, at least for a field, to the calculation of the homology of a new complex that would not involve matrices. Leibniz homology was defined with this goal in mind [\textit{J.-L. Loday}, Enseign. Math., II. Sér. 39, 269--293 (1993; Zbl 0806.55009)], although the Leibniz homology groups (of a Lie or Leibniz algebra) are now viewed more as an additive version of a ``Leibniz K-theory'', \(KL_*(A)\). The paper under review offers a definition of the two-dimensional Leibniz K-theory group of a field \(F\), based on a generalization of Milnor K-theory, \(K_*^M\). For \(u\), \(v\) invertible elements in \(F\), recall that \(K_2^M (F)\) is the Abelian group generated by \(\{ u, \, v \}\) subject to the relations \[ \begin{aligned} & \{ u_1 u_2, \, v \} = \{ u_1, \, v \} \{ u_2, \, v \} \\ & \{ u, \, v_1 v_2 \} = \{ u, \, v_1 \} \{ u, \, v_2 \} \\ & \{ u, 1-u \} = 1, \;\;\;u \neq 1. \end{aligned} \] By definition the Milnor-Leibniz K-group of \(F\), \(KL^M_2 (F)\), is the Abelian group with generators \(\{ u, \, v \}\), \(u\), \(v \in F^*\) and relations \[ \begin{aligned} & \{ u_1 u_2, \, v \} = \{ u_1, \, v \} \{ u_2, \, v \} \\ & \{ u, \, v_1 v_2 \} = \{ u, \, v_1 \} \{ u, \, v_2 \} \\ & \{ u, 1-u \} \{ v, 1-v \} = \{ uv, 1-uv \} . \end{aligned} \] This presentation is then related to a possible Dennis-Stein version of \(KL_2 (A)\).