Diagram spaces and symmetric spectra (Q456797)

Let \(I\) be the category whose objects are the finite sets \([n]\) (including \([0]\)), with morphisms the injections. Then \(I\) is a symmetric monoidal category, an \(I\)-space is a functor \(X : I \to \mathcal{S}\), where \(\mathcal{S}\) is the category of spaces, and \(\mathcal{S}^I\) is the functor category of \(I\)-spaces. Let \(C\mathcal{S}^I\) be the category of commutative monoids in \(\mathcal{S}^I\). Let \(D\) be an \(E_\infty\) operad with associated monad \(\mathbb{D}\). Then the authors prove that there is a positive projective \(I\)-model structure on \(\mathcal{S}^I\) that lifts to a model structure on \(C\mathcal{S}^I\), and furthermore, there is a chain of Quillen equivalences between \(C\mathcal{S}^I\) and \(\mathcal{S}[\mathbb{D}]\), the category of \(\mathbb{D}\)-algebras in \(\mathcal{S}\), equipped with the standard model structure that is lifted from \(\mathcal{S}\). It follows that any \(E_\infty\) homotopy type can be represented by an object in \(C\mathcal{S}^I\). The category \(C\mathcal{S}^I\) has already been useful for the study of algebraic \(K\)-theory and the topological Hochschild homology of Thom spectra. This paper has a plethora of interesting work that develops the above concepts and theorems. However, now we want to focus on what might be the main achievement of this paper. There is an \(I\)-space monoid \(\mathrm{GL}_1^I(R)\) that is useful for understanding the units of a connective symmetric ring spectrum \(R\). However, these units are not able to recognize the difference between an arbitrary symmetric ring spectrum and its connective cover. Also, these units are not able to detect periodicity phenomena in chromatic stable homotopy theory. To address the above issue, following the authors, let \(J\) equal Quillen's localization construction \(\Sigma^{-1}\Sigma\), where \(\Sigma\) is the category of finite sets and bijections. In a vein similar to what was done with the category \(I\) above, let \(\mathcal{S}^J\) be the category of \(J\)-spaces. After developing the homotopy theory of this category, the authors prove the following very interesting result: if \(R\) is a positive fibrant symmetric ring spectrum, then there is an isomorphism of graded signed monoids \(\pi_0(\Omega^J(R)) \cong \pi_\ast(R)\), which has the important property that it restricts to an isomorphism of graded signed groups \(\pi_0(\mathrm{GL}_1^J(R)) \cong (\pi_\ast(R))^\times\) (here, the graded units \(\mathrm{GL}_1^J(R)\) are a sub-\(J\)-space monoid of the \(J\)-space \(\mathrm{GL}_1^J(R)\)). The authors apply the theory of the preceding paragraph to the theory of topological logarithmic structures of John Rognes. In particular, by using their graded units, the authors are able to show that the graded log structure generated by the Bott element is nontrivial on \(ku\) and trivial on \(KU\) (here, \(KU\) is a positive fibrant model for the periodic complex \(K\)-theory spectrum).