Zeta functions in triangulated categories (Q1957056)

Let \({\mathcal T}'\) be the thick triangulated monoidal subcategory of compact objects in the homotopy category \({\mathcal T}=\text{Ho}({\mathcal C})\) of a simplicial model symmetric monoidal category \({\mathcal C} \). Assume that all \textit{Hom} groups in \({\mathcal T}\) are vector spaces over \({\mathbb Q}\). The author proves that the wedge and symmetric powers induce two special \(\lambda\)-structures in the Grothendieck ring \(K_0({\mathcal T}')\), which are opposite to each other. From this it follows that the motivic zeta function is multiplicative with respect to distinguished triangles in \({\mathcal T}\). As an application, the motivic zeta functions of all varieties whose motives lie in a thick triangulated tensor subcategory of Voevodsky's category \({\mathcal DM} \) with coefficients in \({\mathbb Q}\) generated by motives of quasi-projective curves over a field are rational. Together with a result due to P. O'Sullivan, this also gives an example of a variety whose motive is not finite-dimensional in the sense of Kimura and whose motivic zeta function is rational.