The cotangent complex and Thom spectra (Q2024495)

In the 1960's and 1970's \textit{M. André} [Homologie des algèbres commutatives. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer-Verlag (1974; Zbl 0284.18009)] and \textit{D. Quillen} [Proc. Sympos. Pure Math. 17, 65--87 (1970; Zbl 0234.18010)] independently developed a theory of cohomology for commutative rings which can be used to elucidate properties of rings and ring maps. If \(R\) is a commutative ring and \(S\) is an \(R\)-algebra and \(M\) is an \(S\)-module, one defines \(\text{Der}_{R}(S,M)\), the module of \(R\)-linear derivations, to be the module of \(R\)-linear maps \(S \to M\) which satisfy the Leibniz rule. Quillen defines a cohomology theory \(H^{\mathcal{Q}}_{R}(S,M)\) as the derived functors of the derivation functor, using a suitable model category structure on the category of simplicial algebras. In fact this was one of the original applications of model categories. In the \(\infty\)-category of \(E_{\infty}\)-ring spectra, which the authors denote by \(\text{CAlg}\), the representing object for the module of derivations is replaced by the \textit{cotangent complex} \(L_{B/A}\), which is a \(B\)-module where \(A\to B\) is a given morphism in \(\text{CAlg}\). The authors begin by giving a definition of the cotangent complex of a map in a general \(\infty\)-category and then specialize to the case of \(\text{CAlg}\). They compare their definition to several constructions given in the literature: \begin{itemize} \item the stabilization of the augmentation from \(E_{\infty}\)-rings over a particular ring \(B\), to \(B\)-modules as in [\textit{J. Lurie}, Higher algebra. \url{http://www.math.ias.edu/~lurie/papers/HA.pdf}]. \item as a colimit over \(k\) of certain \(E_{k}\)-algebras, strengthening a description in [loc. cit.]. \item in terms of indecomposables following [\textit{M. Basterra}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 144, No. 2, 111--143 (1999; Zbl 0937.55006)]. \end{itemize} They prove that all these constructions lead to equivalent definitions, setting the stage for a unified discussion of the cotangent complex. The proofs use amongst others an \(\infty\)-category version of the Goodwillie calculus applied to the stabilization functor. Their main theorem is Theorem 4.3 which identifies the cotangent complex of a Thom spectrum in \(\text{CAlg}\). Let \(R\) be an object in \(\text{CAlg}\) and let \(\text{Pic}(R)\) be the \textit{Picard space} of \(R\), the maximal subspace of the full subcategory of the invertible \(R\)-modules under smash product. If \(Z\) is a space and \(Z\to\text{Pic}(R)\) a map, the \textit{Thom \(R\)-module} is defined as \[Mf = \text{colim}(Z \xrightarrow{f}\text{Pic}(R) \hookrightarrow\text{Mod}_{R}).\] Theorem 4.3 asserts that if \(f: G \to \text{Pic}(R)\) is a map of \(E_{\infty}\)-groups, then there is an equivalence of \(Mf\)-modules \[ L_{Mf/R} \cong Mf \wedge B^{\infty}G.\] Proposition 4.9 extends this result to the case where \(G\) is an \(E_{\infty}\)-ring space, in which case \(B^{\infty}G\) is an \(E_{\infty}\)-ring spectrum and then the cotangent complex is seen to be a Thom \(E_{\infty}\)-\((R \wedge B^{\infty}G)\)-algebra. An application is given to Étale extensions and several examples are discussed.