Graded Tambara functors (Q1651502)

The homotopy groups of a \(G\)-equivariant spectrum \(E\) can be graded over the real representation ring of \(G\), \(RO(G)\): \[ \underline{\pi}_{[V-W]} (E) (G/H) = [\Sigma^\infty_W G/H_+ \wedge S^V, E]^G, \] but care must be taken over choices of virtual representations. When \(G\) is a finite group and \(E\) is an orthogonal commutative ring \(G\)-spectrum, then grade zero of the above has structure beyond that of a Mackey functor, it is a Tambara functor by work of \textit{M. Brun} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 94, No. 2, 351--385 (2007; Zbl 1121.55007)] and \textit{N. Strickland} [``Tambara functors'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1205.2516}]. This paper shows how to rigorously define a grading based on representations so that the homotopy groups of a commutative ring orthogonal \(G\)-spectrum are a graded Tambara functor. The paper begins with a categorification of \(RO(G)\) denoted \(\mathcal{RO}(G)\), for \(G\) a finite group. Using this category, the author defines a notion of \(\mathcal{RO}(G)\)-grading and proves firstly that the homotopy groups of any \(G\)-spectrum have an \(\mathcal{RO}(G)\)-grading. Secondly, restriction and transfer maps are added to \(\mathcal{RO}(G)\) to give a category \(\mathcal{RO}(G)^{\text{Mack}}\) with composition defined using spans. Using this category, the author proves that the homotopy groups of any \(G\)-spectrum have the structure of an \(\mathcal{RO}(G)\)-graded Mackey functor. Thirdly, norms maps are added to \(\mathcal{RO}(G)^{\text{Mack}}\) to give a category \(\mathcal{RO}(G)^{\text{Tamb}}\) with composition defined using bispans. Using this category, the author proves that if \(E\) is a commutative ring \(G\)-spectrum, then the norms of Hill, Hopkins and Ravenel give the homotopy groups of \(E\) the structure of an \(\mathcal{RO}(G)\)-graded Tambara functor. While written for the case of commutative ring \(G\)-spectra, the results of the paper also apply to algebras over an \(N_\infty\)-operad and their corresponding admissible norms.