Encoding equivariant commutativity via operads (Q1673642)

In recent applications of equivariant stable homotopy theory, most notably the solution to the Kervaire Invariant One problem by \textit{M. A. Hill}, \textit{M. J. Hopkins} and \textit{D. C. Ravenel} [Ann. Math. (2) 184, No. 1, 1--262 (2016; Zbl 1366.55007)], a key feature is the existence of norm maps between equivariant commutative ring spectra. A natural question is thus when algebraic objects, equipped with an action of a group \(G\), admit the structure of analogous norm maps. Since operads provide a framework for describing a wide range of algebraic structures, this question leads to the notion of norm maps encoded by certain equivariant operads. \textit{A. J. Blumberg} and \textit{M. A. Hill} [Adv. Math. 285, 658--708 (2015; Zbl 1329.55012)] first defined such structures, under the name of \(N_\infty\)-operads, and showed that several examples can be described in these terms. A key point in the definition is the interaction between the \(G\)-action and the actions of the symmetric groups \(\Sigma_n\) on the component spaces of the operad. In this paper, the authors resolve a question of Blumberg and Hill [loc. cit.] regarding which kinds of families of subgroups of \(G \times \Sigma_n\) actually correspond to an \(N_\infty\)-operad. Specifically, they show that the only restrictions on such sequences are those arising from the composition structure of the operad. Additionally, they consider appropriate model structures on the category of \(G\)-operads and their algebras, allowing them to establish some rectification results for algebras. Finally, they consider a class of operads somewhat weaker than \(N_\infty\)-operads and prove some analogous results in that setting.