Rings, modules, and algebras in infinite loop space theory (Q2503363)

It is well known that the \(K\)-theory of a bipermutative category is an \(E_{\infty}\) ring spectrum, but the proof in the literature contains gaps for which not all patches have been published. Motivated by a question of Gunnar Carlsson the present paper answers more general questions on what combinatorial/categorical structures will give rise to ring or module spectra via taking the \(K\)-theory. The main theorem of the present paper contains the above result as a special case, but is much more general. Moreover, a detailed account of the above mentioned problems in the literature is given. The setting for the paper is multicategories (or coloured operads), which give the right framework for multiplicative structures. A multicategory consist of a collection of objects and a set of \(k\)-morphisms, \(M_k(a_1,\ldots,a_k;b)\) from \(k\)-tuples of objects to a single object. The \(k\)-morphisms satisfy axioms similar to those of an operad and indeed multicategories with one object are precisely the operads. The category of small permutative categories forms a multicategory \({\mathcal P}\) enriched over the category of small categories. A new construction of the \(K\)-theory of a small permutative category, weakly equivalent to the usual \(K\)-theory functor, provides an enriched multifunctor from \({\mathcal P}\) to the multicategory of symmetric spectra. As a consequence, any structure on small permutative categories, which can be described via a multifunctor from a small multicategory into \({\mathcal P}\), (a multidiagram) will give rise to a similar structure in \(K\)-theory, since \(K\)-theory gives a corresponding multidiagram in the multicategory of symmetric spectra. Theorem 1.2 provides a ring structure on a small permutative category as a multifunctor from an operad. A bipermutative structure is determined by a multifunctor from an \(E_{\infty}\) operad. And other module and algebra structures are interpreted this way as well. Hence, for instance, \(K\)-theory of a ring category is a ring spectrum, \(K\)-theory of a bipermutative category is an \(E_{\infty}\)-ring spectrum. Moreover, modelcategory structures on categories of multifunctors into the category of symmetric spectra is studied. The aim is to compare \(E_{\infty}\) rings, modules and algebras with the strictly commutative analogues. The main result, Theorem 1.3 on this is, that for a small multicategory \({\mathcal M}\) enriched over simplicial sets, there is a simlplicial model structure on the category of multifunctors from \({\mathcal M}\) to the category of symmetric spectra. The weak equivalences are the objectwise stable equivalences and the fibrations are the objectwise positive stable fibrations of symmetric spectra.