The \(v_n\)-periodic Goodwillie tower on wedges and cofibres (Q2284281)

Let \(X\) be a pointed space. The Goodwillie tower of the identity on \(X\) is a diagram \[ X\to \cdots \to P_2X\to P_1X, \] where \(P_1X\) equals \(QX=\Omega^\infty\Sigma^\infty X\). For \(n\geq 2\), the \(n^{\mathrm{th}}\) Goodwillie layer is the homotopy fibre \(D_nX\) of the map \(P_nX\to P_{n-1}X\), which can expressed as the infinite loop space of the spectrum \(\mathbf{D}_nX=(\partial_n\mathrm{id}\wedge X^{\wedge n})_{h\Sigma_n}\). Here \(\partial_n\mathrm{id}\) denotes the Spanier-Whitehead dual of the suspended partition complex. If the natural map \[ X\to\mathrm{holim}_n P_nX \] is an equivalence, the Goodwillie tower is said to converge on \(X\). Let \(X_1,\ldots, X_k\) be pointed spaces. By the Hilton-Milnor theorem there is a weak equivalence \[ \mathop{{\prod}^\prime}_{w\in\mathbf{L}_k}\Omega\Sigma\bigl(w(X_1,\dots, X_k)\bigr) \stackrel{H}\longrightarrow \Omega\Sigma(X_1\vee\cdots \vee X_k). \] Here \(\prod^\prime\) denotes the weak infinite product and \(\mathbf{L}_k\) denotes an ordered set of Lie words \(w\) that form a basis for the free Lie algebra on \(k\) generators. The product of the \(X_i\) is the smash product. The authors study the components \[ \Omega\Sigma\bigl( w(X_1,\ldots, X_k)\bigr)\stackrel{H_w}\longrightarrow \Omega\Sigma(X_1\vee\cdots \vee X_k) \] of the Hilton-Milnor map. They prove that \(H_w\) can be refined to a map of towers \[ \Omega P_n(\Sigma w(X_1,\ldots, X_k))\stackrel{ H_{w,n}}\longrightarrow \Omega P_{n\vert w\vert}(\Sigma( X_1\vee\cdots \vee X_k)), \] where \(\vert w\vert\) denotes the length of a word \(w\). They then use these maps to prove that the Hilton-Milnor map refines to an equivalence of towers \[ \mathop{{\prod}^\prime}_{w\in\mathbf{L}_k} \Omega P_{\lfloor\frac{n}{\vert w\vert}\rfloor}\bigl( \Sigma w (X_1,\ldots, X_k)\bigr) \stackrel{\sim}\longrightarrow \Omega P_n(\Sigma X_1\vee \cdots \vee \Sigma X_k). \] This result is applied to \(v_h\)-periodic homotopy theory: Let \(\Phi_v\) denote the telescopic functor associated to \(v\). For a pointed space \(X\), the \(v_h\)-periodic Goodwillie tower of \(X\) is said to converge if the map \[ \Phi_vX\to\mathrm{holim}_n \Phi_vP_nX \] is an equivalence. \textit{G. Arone} and \textit{M. Mahowald} proved in [Invent. Math. 135, No. 3, 743--788 (Zbl 0997.55016)] that the \(v_h\)-periodic Goodwillie tower of \({\mathbb{S}}^j\) converges for every \(j\geq 1\). Moreover, they showed that the tower is finite, i.e., it becomes constant at a finite stage. The authors prove that the \(v_h\)-periodic Goodwillie tower is infinite and fails to converge on wedges of spheres of dimension at least \(2\). They also prove that the \(v_1\)-periodic Goodwillie tower of a Moore space \({\mathbb{S}}^l/p\) is infinite and fails to converge, if \(p\) is odd and \(l\geq 5\).