The plethory of operations in complex topological \(K\)-theory (Q1982612)

The authors provide a framework for studying unstable cohomology operations based on plethystic algebra [\textit{J. Borger} and \textit{B. Wieland}, Adv. Math. 194, No. 2, 246--283 (2005; Zbl 1098.13033); \textit{D. O. Tall} and \textit{G. C. Wraith}, Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 20, 619--643 (1970; Zbl 0226.13007)]. The authors adapt this to the graded setting, also working with complete, Hausdorff \(k\)-algebras. Their underlying category is \(\mathbf{CAlg}_k\), the category of complete, Hausdorff \(k\)-algebras (in the graded commutative setting), for a fixed \(k\). This can be considered as the opposite of the category of `affine' formal \(k\)-schemes. The category \(\mathbf{CBiring}_{k,k}\) of birings then corresponds to that of affine formal \(k\)-algebra \(k\)-schemes. The usual tensor product `lifts' to the composition product \(\hat{\odot} : \mathbf{CBiring}_{k,k} \times \mathbf{CAlg}_k \rightarrow \mathbf{CAlg}_k\) that induces a symmetric monoidal structure on birings. The appropriate notion of a plethory is a monoid in \((\mathbf{CBiring}_{k,k}, \hat{\odot})\); these form a category \(\mathbf{CPlethory}_k\). To model the looping operation that arises in the motivating topological examples, the authors define the category \(\mathbf{\Omega Plethory}_k\) of \(k\)-plethories with looping and show that the forgetful functor admits a left adjoint \(\Omega : \mathbf{CPlethory}_k \rightarrow \mathbf{\Omega Plethory}_k\). They prove that, if \(E^*\) is a graded cohomology theory such that \(E^* (\underline{E}_n)\) is \(E^*\)-free for each \(n\), then \(E^* (\underline{E}_\bullet)\) is an \(E^*\)-plethory with looping and, moreover, for any space \(X\), the completed cohomology \(\hat{E}^* (X)\) is an algebra over the plethory \(E^* (\underline{E}_\bullet)\). (This includes a direct proof of an earlier result of [\textit{A. Stacey} and \textit{S. Whitehouse}, Homology Homotopy Appl. 11, No. 2, 75--132 (2009; Zbl 1194.55019)].) The theory is illustrated by the case of complex topological \(K\)-theory: the authors give an elegant presentation of \(K^* (\underline{K}_\bullet)\) as a \(\mathbb{Z}/2\)-graded \(\mathbb{Z}\)-plethory with looping in terms of the plethory of symmetric functions and the functor \(\Omega\).