No label defined (Q4400701)

The root invariant (called the Mahowald invariant by some authors) assigns to each element \(x\neq 0\) in the stable homotopy of spheres a nonzero coset \(R(x)\) in a higher stem. It seems to be a fundamental concept in stable homotopy. In a previous paper, the author and \textit{J. Greenlees} [Exp. Math. 4, No. 4, 289-297 (1995; Zbl 0858.55012)] gave a simple definition of \(R(x)\) based on equivariant homotopy. This definition is used here to derive a relation between \(R(xy)\) and \(R(x)R(y)\). The Adams spectral sequence leads to an algebraic companion to the root invariant. The second theorem of the present paper is concerned with this algebraic analogue. This result and the discussion which follows shed some light on the question in which band of stems \(R(x)\) can be lying. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0890.00047].