No label defined (Q4939367)

Let \(X\) be a simplicial set and \(R\) be a non-trivial commutative ring with unit. The simplicial set \(RX\subset R\otimes X\), \((RX)_n= \{\Sigma\lambda_i x_i\), \(x_i\in X_n\), \(\Sigma\lambda_i= 1\), \(\lambda_i\neq 0\) for only finitely many \(i\}\), is a base-point free version of the infinite symmetric product. In this paper the authors associate to any fibration \(E\to B\) and ring \(R\) a fibrewise infinite symmetric product \(R_f(E)\to B\). Denote by \(G_i(B)\to B\) the \(i\)th Ganea fibration. They prove, using a result of K. Hess, that the Lyusternik-Shnirel'man category of a 1-connected rational space of finite rational type \(B\) is the minimum \(n\) such that \(Q_f(G_n(B))\to B\) admits a section. More generally, for any ring \(R\) the invariant \(M_R\)-cat\((B)= \text{inf}\{n\mid R_fG_n(B)\to B\) admits a section\} is an approximation to the L.S. category which satisfies a product formula.