On solid and rigid monoids in monoidal categories (Q2516575)

\textit{A. K. Bousfield} and \textit{D. M. Kan} [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 2, 73--81 (1972; Zbl 0233.55004)] defined a ring \(R\) to be solid if \(cR = R\) where \(cR = \{ x\in R : 1\otimes_\mathbb{Z} x = x\otimes_\mathbb{Z} 1\}\) is the core of \(R\). As examples, it is easy to show that the rational numbers \(\mathbb{Q}\) are solid whereas the real numbers \(\mathbb{R}\) are not. In fact, as the author points out, Bousfield-Kan have classified all such rings and in particular, they are all countable. The author defines the analogous solid ring object in cocomplete closed symmetric monoidal categories \(\mathcal{E}\) with tensor product \(\otimes\) over a symmetric monoidal category \(\mathcal{V}\). In such categories, a \textit{smashing localization functor} is one of the form \(X\mapsto X\otimes A\) for a fixed object \(A\). Similarly, a \textit{smashing colocalization functor} is one of the form \(X\mapsto\mathrm{Hom}_{\mathcal{E}}(A,X)\) for a fixed object \(A\). The first main theorem is that there is a bijection between the three classes: solid monoids, smashing localizations, and smashing colocalizations. A ring \(R\) is called rigid if the evaluation \(\mathrm{Hom}_\mathbb{Z}(R,R)\to R\) given by \(\varphi\mapsto \varphi(1)\) is an isomorphism. The author defines rigid ring objects in the symmetric monoidal category \(\mathcal{E}\); more precisely, he defines a more subtle notion rigidity with respect to an adjunction \((i,r)\) between \(\mathcal{V}\) and \(\mathcal{E}\). The second main theorem shows that all such rigid monoids appear as the image of a certain so-called \((i,r)\)-localisation functor. Since this result is a little more technical and would take up too much space to explain, we shall omit the finer details and move straight to the applications. The author applies his results to the stable homotopy category of spectra. Here, the tensor product is the smash product. The author deduces a variety of results, so let us state one that gives the main flavour of this paper. First, some notation: if \(A\) is an abelian group, then \(MA\) will denote its Moore spectrum. Now, one result the author deduces: if \(R\) is a connective solid ring spectrum, then \(R\) is isomorphic to \(MA\) where \(A\) is a subring of the rationals. I found the results of this paper interesting and personally useful to gain a better understanding of spectra, and of the uses of monoidcal categories.