On the relation of special linear algebraic cobordism to Witt groups (Q303922)

In the article under review the author establishes a new motivic variant of the theorem of Conner-Floyd reconstructing \(K\)-theory from cobordism. More specifically, the article shows that higher Witt theory may be reconstructed from special linear bordism with the Hopf map inverted. Recall that classically, for a space \(X\) we write \(MU^*(X)\) for the complex cobordism groups, \(KU^*(X)\) for the \(K\)-groups, \(MSp^*(X)\) for the symplectic cobordism groups, and \(KO^*(X)\) for the orthogonal \(K\)-groups. Complex \(K\)-theory is complex oriented, i.e. satisfies a Thom isomorphism formula. Since complex cobordism is the universal complex oriented cohomology theory, there is a natural transformation \(MU^*(X) \to KU^*(X)\). The theorem of Conner-Floyd for \(KU\) can now be stated as \[ KU^*(X) \approx MGL^*(X) \otimes_{MGL^*} KU^*. \] Here \(MGL^* := MGL_*(\mathrm{pt})\) denotes the coefficient ring, and similarly for \(KU^*\). (Of course \(MGL^*\) is isomorphic to the Lazard ring by a theorem of Quillen, and \(KU^* = \mathbb{Z}[\beta, \beta^{-1}]\) for some \(\beta\) in degree 2.) There is also a variant for orthogonal \(K\)-theory: even though \(KO\) is not complex orientable, it is symplectically orientable (i.e. satisfies a Thom isomorphism theorem for \textit{symplectic} vector bundles) and hence there is a natural transformation \(MSp^*(X) \to KO^*(X)\) (since symplectic cobordism is the universal symplectically orientable cohomology theory). The Conner-Floyd isomorphism in this setting is \[ KO^*(X) \approx MSp^*(X) \otimes_{MSp^*} KO^*. \] There are various motivic analogs of these results. Essentially one may make sense of a notion of an extraordinary cohomology theory for algebraic varieties. These cohomology theories are bigraded, and satisfy many analogs of the classical Eilenberg-Steenrod axioms. For a smooth algebraic variety \(X\) (over a field \(k\)), typical examples of cohomology theories are algebraic cobordism \(MGL^{*,*}(X)\) (as constructed by Voevodsky), higher algebraic \(K\)-theory \(KGL^{*,*}(X)\) (as constructed first by Quillen; here Bott periodicity makes one of the indices redundant), Symplectic cobordism \(MSp^{*,*}(X)\) and special linear cobordism \(MSL^{*,*}(X)\) (as constructed by Panin-Walter), (higher) hermitian \(K\)-theory \(KO^{*,*}(X)\), and higher Witt theory \(KT^{*,*}\) (as constructed by Balmer). There are then the following motivic Conner-Floyd isomorphisms: \[ KGL^{*,*}(X) \approx MGL^{*,*}(X) \otimes_{MGL^{2*,*}} KGL^{2*,*} \] (Panin-Pimenov-Röndigs) \[ KO^{*,*}(X) \approx MSp^{*,*}(X) \otimes_{MSp^{4*,2*}} KO^{4*,2*} \] (Panin-Walter). In motivic homotopy theory there is an algebraic analog \(\eta\) of the Hopf map. This provides a (graded) endomorphism of any cohomology theory. One may show that Balmer's higher witt theory \(KT\) is given by \(KO[1/\eta]\). In the article under review, the author establishes an isomorphism \[ KT^{*,*}(X) \approx MSL[1/\eta]^{*,*}(X) \otimes_{MSL[1/\eta]^{4*,2*}} KT^{4*,2*}. \] The proof of the result combines the Conner-Floyd isomorphism for Hermitian \(K\)-theory as established by Panin-Walter with the careful study of \(\eta\)-inverted cohomology theories of the author.