Dickson invariants and a new description of \(H^{*}(Q_{0}S^{0},{\mathbb{Z}}/p{\mathbb{Z}})\) via \(H^{*}(B\Sigma _{\infty }, {\mathbb{Z}} / p {\mathbb{Z}})\) (Q382404)

Let \(Q=\Omega^\infty\Sigma^\infty\) and \(Q_0S^0\) be the base point component of \(QS^0\). If \(\Sigma_\infty\) is the infinite symmetric group and \(B\Sigma_\infty\) its classifying space, then Quillen and, independently, Barratt and Priddy, have shown that the natural map \(Q_0S^0\to B\Sigma_\infty\) induces a cohomology isomorphism. This paper offers a new perspective on this result. The first major result of the paper offers a new basis for \(H^*(B\Sigma_\infty;\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z})\) for any prime \(p\). Let \(D=\coprod_{k\geq 1} D^+_k\) be the Dickson algebra monomials of positive degree and arbitrary length. A submodule \(SD=\coprod_{k\geq 1} SD^+_k\) is defined. If \(p=2\), \(SD_k= SD^+_k\) and a set of generators \(d_{k,k-r}\), \(1\leq r\leq k\), is described and \(H^*(B\Sigma_\infty; \mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z})\) is shown to be isomorphic to a polynomial algebra generated by products \(\prod_{1\leq r\leq k} d^{m_r}_{k,k-r}\), where \((m_1, m_2,\dots, m_k)\) is any \(k\)-tuple such that not all of the entries are even. A description of \(H^*(B\Sigma_\infty; \mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z})\) is also provided. If \(\mathcal A_p\) is the \(\text{mod\,}p\) Steenrod algebra, then the second major result of the paper offers a complete \(\mathcal A_p\) filtration \(A^1\subset A^2\subset\cdots \subset H^*(Q_0 S^0; \mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z})\) such that there are algebra isomorphisms \(A^{s+1}\cong A^s\otimes V(SD^\#(s+1))\) and \(\mathcal A_p\) algebra isomorphisms \(A^{s+1}/A^s\cong V(SD^\#(s+1))\), where \(D^\#\) and \(SD^\#\) are the corresponding restricted Lie algebras and \(V(SD^\#)\) is the universal enveloping algebra on \(SD^\#\).