Profinite homotopy theory (Q2517769)

A profinite set is a pro-object in the category of finite sets, and the limit functor induces an equivalence of the category of profinite sets with the category of compact, totally disconnected topological spaces. Just as ordinary homotopy theory can be done in the framework of simplicial sets, simplicial profinite sets should provide for a natural setting to do profinite homotopy theory. In this paper, the author describes a model category structure on simplicial profinite sets. (Although it might be tempting to think so, the latter category is not equivalent to the category of pro-objects in finite simplicial sets.) The weak equivalences are the maps which induce isomorphisms on fundamental groups and in cohomology with finite abelian local coefficients, and the author carefully explains these first. There is a completion functor from simplicial sets to simplicial profinite sets which is left-adjoint to the forgetful functor, and this can be extended to pro-objects in simplicial sets. Together with the functorial fibrant replacement this gives a valuable profinite completion functor before passage to the homotopy category. This compares well with earlier work of \textit{A. K. Bousfield} and \textit{D. M. Kan} [Homotopy limits, completions and localizations. Lecture Notes in Mathematics~304. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer-Verlag (1972; Zbl 0259.55004)] and \textit{F. Morel} [Bull. Soc. Math. Fr. 124, No.~2, 347--373 (1996; Zbl 0868.55015)], who worked one prime at a time. Apart from the (very readable) account of the necessary technical details used to build this theory, the author also demonstrates how to apply it in the context of the étale homotopy theory of \textit{M. Artin} and \textit{B. Mazur} [Etale homotopy. Lecture Notes in Mathematics~100. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer-Verlag (1969; Zbl 0182.26001)] and \textit{E. M. Friedlander} [Etale homotopy of simplicial schemes. Annals of Mathematics Studies 104. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press (1982; Zbl 0538.55001)] in the final section.