The \(\mathcal{A}\)-decomposability of the Singer construction (Q1989815)

The Hurewicz map \(\pi_\ast(\Omega^\infty\Sigma^\infty X)\to H_\ast(\Omega^\infty\Sigma^\infty X;\mathbb{F}_2)\) from the stable homotopy groups of a pointed space \(X\) to the homology with coefficients in the field \(\mathbb{F}_2\) of the infinite loop space \(QX=\Omega^\infty\Sigma^\infty X\) is of significant interest to algebraic topologists. For \(X =\mathbb{S}^0\) the spherical class conjecture predicts that the image in positive degree consists only of the images of elements of Hopf invariant one and those of Kervaire invariant one [\textit{E. B. Curtis}, Ill. J. Math. 19, 231--246 (1975; Zbl 0311.55007)]. Write \(Q_0X\) for the basepoint component of \(QX\) and henceforth always take homology (and cohomology) with \(\mathbb{F}_2\) coefficients. The first author proposed, in a paper submitted for publication, the following generalized spherical class conjecture: Let \(X\) be a pointed \(CW\)-complex. Then the Hurewicz homomorphism \(\pi_\ast(Q_0X)\to H_\ast(Q_0X)\) vanishes on classes of \(\pi_\ast(Q_0X)\) of Adams filtration greater than \(2\). For \(s\) a natural number, let \(P_s\) denote the polynomial algebra \(\mathbb{F}_2[x_1,\ldots,x_s]\) on generators of degree one, equipped with the canonical unstable algebra structure over the mod \(2\) Steenrod algebra \(\mathcal{A}\). The main result of this paper, stated in Theorem 1, proves the weak generalized algebraic spherical class conjecture: Let \(M\) be an unstable \(\mathcal{A}\)-module and \(s>2\) be an integer. Every positive degree element of the Singer construction \(R_sM\) is \(\mathcal{A}\)-decomposable in \(P_s\otimes M\). The condition \(s>2\) is necessary, as exhibited by the spherical classes of Hopf invariant one and those of Kervaire invariant one.