Homotopy fixed points for profinite groups emulate homotopy fixed points for discrete groups (Q2439661)

This well-written paper considers the difficult problem of defining homotopy fixed points for profinite groups. For a profinite group \(G\), \(G\)-spectra are often constructed as discrete \(G\)-spectra: those spectra \(X\) which are the colimit (over open normal subgroups \(N\)) of their strict fixed points \(X^N\). Thus on any element of a level of \(X\), \(G\) acts through some finite quotient \(G/N\). Homotopy fixed points are usually defined using homotopy limits. Since a homotopy limit of a discrete \(G\)-spectrum is no longer discrete, this makes the construction of homotopy fixed points quite difficult. The usual solution is to consider the more complicated notion of continuous \(G\)-spectra. This paper resolves that problem, thus making homotopy fixed points for profinite groups more like homotopy fixed points for finite groups.