Analogs of Dirichlet \(L\)-functions in chromatic homotopy theory (Q2118916)

A striking apperance of the Bernoulli numbers \(B_n\) in homotopy theory is the fact that the denominator of \(B_{2n}/4n\) determines the order of the \textit{image of \(J\)}. This \(J\)-homomorphism, from the homotopy groups of the infinite orthogonal group to the stable homotopy groups of spheres, was originally defined by \textit{G. W. Whitehead} [Ann. Math. (2) 43, 634--640 (1942; Zbl 0060.41105)] and this relationship to Bernoulli numbers discovered by Adams through his work on topological \(K\)-theory [On the groups \(J(X)\). IV. Topology 5, 21-71 (1966; Zbl 0145.19902)]. Years later, \textit{A. Baker} [Can. Math. Bull. 42, No. 2, 129--138 (1999; Zbl 0934.55005)] and \textit{G. Laures} [Topology 38, No. 2, 387--425 (1999; Zbl 0924.55004)] used elliptic cohomology theories to directly connect the image of \(J\) with the linear term of the Eisenstein series \(G_{2k}\), which is also given by \(B_{2k}/4k\). In number theory, variations of Bernoulli numbers and Eisenstein series exist by twisting their definitions with a Dirichlet character \(\chi\). In this article, the author defines and studies a stable homotopy type \(J(N)^{h\chi}\) for each primative Dirichlet character with conductor \(N\) as a proposed ``Dirichlet \(J\)-spectrum''. A comparison is made between the homotopy groups of these spectra and the denominators of twisted Bernoulli numbers \(B_{k,\chi}\), reducing to the classical theorem of Adams when \(\chi\) is the trivial character. Variants of \(J(N)^{h\chi}\) are also compared with special values of zeta functions \(\zeta_{\mathbf{K}}\) for totally real finite abelian extensions \(\mathbf{K}/\mathbf{Q}\) and the \(KU\)-local algebrac \(K\)-theory of its ring of integers \(\mathcal{O}_\mathbf{K}\). A duality theorem is proven for \(J(N)^{h\chi}\), which states that the \(KU\)-local Brown-Comenetz dual of \(J(p^\nu)^{h\chi}\) is \(\Sigma^2 J(p^\nu)^{h\chi^{-1}}\) (up possibly inverting a prime \(\ell\neq p\)), which resembles the classical functional equation \(L(k;\chi) = C L(1-k;\chi^{-1})\) for some (known) constant \(C\). The first three sections of this article provide the number and homotopy theoretic background to construct these Dirichlet \(J\)-spectra. In brief, \(J(N)^{h\chi}\) is the \(\chi\)-homotopy eigenspectrum of \(J(N)\), meaning the \((\mathbf{Z}/N\mathbf{Z})^\times\)-homotopy fixed points of a mapping spectrum from a Moore spectrum \(M(\mathbf{Z}[\chi])\) to \(J(N)\), where \(J(N)\) is constructed using an arithmetic fracture square to piece together certain finite Galois extensions \(\mathbf{S}_{KU/p}(p^{\nu})\) of the \(K(1)\)-local sphere for each \(p^\nu||N\). The subtle question of a \((\mathbf{Z}/N\mathbf{Z})^\times\)-action on the Moore spectrum \(M(\mathbf{Z}[\chi])\) is also tackled. This construction leads to a ``homotopy eigenspectrum spectral sequence'' abutting to the homotopy groups of \(J(N)^{h\chi}\), which is the main computation tool used to analyse the homotopy groups of these \(J(N)^{h\chi}\) as well as the homotopy groups of other homotopy fixed point spectra of \(J(N)\); a range of computations of this flavour are carried out in Section 4. In section 5.1, the connection between a \(J\)-spectrum related to number fields \(\mathbf{K}\) and the \(KU\)-local algebraic \(K\)-theory of its ring of integers \(\mathcal{O}_{\mathbf{K}}\) is analysed, relying on the recent work of \textit{B. Bhatt} et al. [Sel. Math., New Ser. 26, No. 3, Paper No. 39, 16 p. (2020; Zbl 1454.19004)]. In particular, a natural Galois equivariant map \(J(\mathbf{K})\to L_{KU}K(\mathcal{O}_{\mathbf{K}})\) is constructed which induces an isomorphism on \(p\)-adic topological \(K\)-theory in even degrees and isolates the Harris-Segal summand of \(K_{2t-1}(\mathcal{O}_{\mathbf{K}})\) on homotopy groups in odd degrees. Section 5.2 is then devoted to proving the Brown-Comenetz self duality of \(J(N)^{h\chi}\) and related self-duality statements, strengthening the idea that these spectra behaves as analogues of \(L\)-functions in chromatic homotopy theory.