Higher-order representation stability and ordered configuration spaces of manifolds (Q2331022)

In this paper, the authors introduce and consider higher order representation stability for the homology of ordered configuration spaces of manifolds, inspired by the notion of secondary homological stability due to [\textit{S. Galatius} et al., Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 130, 1--61 (2019; Zbl 1461.55011)]. For a smooth, connected, non-compact manifold \(M\) of dimension \(n \geq 2\), adding a new marked point makes the \(i\)th homology \(H_i (FM ) : k \mapsto H_i (F_k M)\), where \(F_k M\) is the configuration space of \(k\) ordered points in \(M\), into a \textit{free} \(\mathrm{FI}\)-module (an \(\mathrm{FI}\)-module is a functor from the category of finite sets and injections to abelian groups; \(k\) is the arity). The new ingredient here is the secondary stabilization morphism \[ H_i (F_k M) \rightarrow H_{i+1} (F_{k+2} M) \] induced by a class of \(H_1 (F_2 (\mathbb{R}^n))\); this is zero if \(n >2\). These morphisms assemble to give \(H_* (FM)\) the structure of a graded \(\mathrm{FIM}^+\)-module; the category of \(\mathrm{FIM}^+\)-modules is analogous to that of \(\mathrm{FI}\)-modules, with the inclusion morphisms generated by adding \textit{pairs} of points and with a skew-symmetry property for compositions. The authors first give a new proof -- and generalization to the non-orientable case -- of the representation stability result of [\textit{T. Church} et al., Duke Math. J. 164, No. 9, 1833--1910 (2015; Zbl 1339.55004)] that the \(\mathrm{FI}\)-module indecomposables \(H_0^{\mathrm{FI}} (H_i (FM))\) vanish in arity \(k\) for \(k>2i\); for \(\dim M >2\) they later strengthen this to \(k>i\). The proof of this and subsequent results uses the arc resolution spectral sequence \(E^r_{*,*}(S)\) associated to the augmented semi-simplicial space \(\mathrm{Arc}_\bullet (F_S M)\), for a finite set \(S\). The key fact is that \(E^\infty_{p,q}(S)=0\) if \(p+q \le |S|-2\), which is deduced from a result of [\textit{A. Kupers} and \textit{J. Miller}, Math. Ann. 370, No. 1--2, 209--269 (2018; Zbl 1384.55009)]. The \(E_1\)-page identifies as \(E^1_{p,q} = \mathrm{Inj}_p (H_q (F M) )\) (\(q \geq 0\), \(p \geq -1\)), where \(\mathrm{Inj}_\bullet \mathcal{V}\) is the twisted injective word complex of an \(\mathrm{FI}\)-module \(\mathcal{V}\). The fact that the \(\mathrm{FI}\)-modules \(H_* (FM)\) are free implies that the \(E^2\)-page can be expressed in terms of \(H_0^{\mathrm{FI}} (H_* (FM))\) and the homology of the injective word complex \(\mathrm{Inj}_\bullet\). In each arity, the reduced homology of \(\mathrm{Inj}_\bullet\) is concentrated in a single degree and the authors give a new characterization of this representation; this is of independent interest. These ingredients lead to the proof of the representation stability result. Higher representation stability arises through the differentials \(d_r\), for \(r\geq 2\); in particular, \(d_2\) is closely related to the secondary stabilization morphisms. More precisely, the graded \(\mathrm{FIM}^+\)-module structure on \(H_* (FM)\) leads to a decomposition as \(\mathrm{FIM}^+\)-modules \[ H_0^{\mathrm{FI}} (H_*(FM)) \cong \bigoplus_{i\geq 0} \mathcal{W}_i ^M. \] The authors' secondary representation stability result states that, for coefficients in a field of characteristic zero, each \(\mathcal{W}_i^M\) is finitely-generated as an \(\mathrm{FIM}^+\)-module.