$K$-theoretic obstructions to bounded $t$-structures (Q1741578)

The authors generalize Schlichting's results and conjectures on the negative \(K\)-groups of small abelian categories. Let \(E\) be a small stable \(\infty\)-category with a bounded \(t\)-structure. The authors show that \(\mathrm{K}_{-1}(E)\) vanishes. If, in addition, the heart \(E^{\heartsuit}\) of \(E\) is noetherian, the authors show that \(\mathrm{K}_{-n}(E)\) vanishes for all positive integers \(n\) and that the natural map \(\mathrm{K}(E^{\heartsuit})\to \mathrm{K}(E)\) is an equivalence. In this case, Barwick's theorem of the heart holds for nonconnective \(K\)-theory spectra. The authors also present various applications, in particular to non-existence results for bounded \(t\)-structures and stability conditions, to possible \(K\)-theoretic obstructions to the existence of the motivic \(t\)-structure, and to vanishing results for the negative \(K\)-groups of a large class of dg algebras and ring spectra. Authors' results and conjectures apply to any triangulated category with a bounded \(t\)-structure that admits a model, either as a dg category or as a stable \(\infty\)-category.