An additivity theorem for the interchange of \(E_n\) structures (Q2253802)

Let \(\mathcal A\) and \(\mathcal B\) be operads and let \(X\) be an object with an \(\mathcal A\)-algebra and a \(\mathcal B\)-algebra structure. These structures are said to interchange if each operation of the \(\mathcal A\)-structure is a homomorphism with respect to the \(\mathcal B\)-structure and vice versa. In this case the combined structure is codified by the tensor product \(\mathcal A \otimes \mathcal B\) of the two operads. On the other hand, there is not much known about \(\mathcal A \otimes \mathcal B\) in general, because the analysis of the tensor product requires the solution of a tricky word problem. In the paper under review the authors essentially solve the word problem for the nullary, unary, and binary operations of the tensor product of arbitrary topological operads, and show that the tensor product of a cofibrant \(E_k\)-operad with a cofibrant \(E_l\)-operad is an \(E_{k+l}\)-operad. The cofibrancy condition is needed in the theorem. In fact the authors show that there are counter examples if the cofibrancy condition is not assumed.