Twisted differential cohomology (Q2330947)

This paper constructs twisted versions of generalized multiplicative differential cohomology theories by extending to the twisted case the method of differential function spectra due to Hopkins-Singer. The authors develop a novel, more general point of view on twisted cohomology in terms of graded rings. For a commutative ring spectrum \(R\) and manifold \(M,\) let \(\operatorname{Pic}^\mathrm{loc}_{\underline{R}}(M)\) be the Picard category of locally constant sheaves of \(R\)-modules admitting a tensor inverse, whose objects are called \(R\)-twists on \(M.\) According to the authors, the proper way to view a twisted cohomology theory is as a monoidal functor \(\operatorname{Ho}(\operatorname{Pic}^\mathrm{loc}_{\underline{R}}(M)) \to \operatorname{Abel}\) into the category of abelian groups. This neatly encodes the familiar operations of multiplication, pullback, and equivalences of twists. A differential \(R\)-twist is a refinement of an \(R\)-twist that is equipped with a Chern character comparison map to a certain Eilenberg-Mac Lane spectrum that encodes the theory of differential forms of \(M.\) Using a Hopkins-Singer type homotopy pullback diagram, the authors explain how a differential \(R\)-twist can be used to construct a twisted differential cohomology theory. The present treatment is rather advanced in that it uses \(\infty\)-categories to keep track of coherence problems, but much of the required background is explained. Many interesting examples are discussed in Part III of the paper.