The spaces that define algebraic \(K\)-theory (Q1806121)

The authors give necessary and sufficient conditions on a CW-complex \(W\) such that the \(W\)-nullification of \(BGl(R)\) is the \(K\)-space \(BGl(R)^{+}\) for all associative rings \(R\) with unit. In this case, \(W\) is said to define algebraic \(K\)-theory. In this language, the main result is that \(W\) defines \(K\)-theory if and only if \(W\) is acyclic and there is a non-trivial homomorphism \(\pi_{1}W \rightarrow Gl({\mathbb Z})\).