On the algebraic \(K\)-theory of simply connected spaces (Q1815362)

This paper gives an interpretation of Waldhausen's (reduced) functor \(\tilde A(X)\) in terms of more familiar objects of algebraic topology. The main ingredients are the cyclotomic trace invariant of \textit{M. Bökstedt, W. C. Hsiang} and \textit{I. Madsen} [Invent. Math. 111, No. 3, 465-539 (1993; Zbl 0804.55004)] and the calculus of functors of \textit{T. G. Goodwillie} [``The differential calculus of homotopy functors'', in: Proc. Int. Congr. Math., Kyoto 1990, Vol. I, 621-630 (1991; Zbl 0759.55011)]. The main result of the paper is that after \(p\)-completion \(\tilde A(X)\) agrees with \(\widetilde{TC}(X;p)\) for a simply connected space \(X\) of finite type. Moreover, the authors give a description of the \(p\)-completion of \(\widetilde{TC}(X;p)\). This description is then used to describe the \(p\)-completion of \(\widetilde{Wh}(X)\). Applications to the homotopy type of the space of smooth pseudo-isotopies of a manifold and integral versions of the results are discussed.