New approach to the groups \(H_* (\Sigma_n, \text{Lie}_n)\) by the homology theory of the category of functors (Q5939607)

Let \(D_n(X)\) denote the \(n\)th homogeneous layer of the Goodwillie tower of the identity functor evaluated at \(X\). It is shown by \textit{G. Arone} and \textit{M. Mahowald} [``The Goodwillie tower of the identity functor and the unstable periodic homotopy of spheres'', Invent. Math. 135, No. 3, 743-788 (1999; Zbl 0997.55016)] that \(D_n(S^{2s+1})\) is nontrivial only when \(n=p^k\) for some prime number \(p\), and for such \(n\) it is \(p\)-torsion from the homotopy theoretical point of view. The main computational ingredient in the proof may be stated as follows: the homology groups \(H_\ast (\Sigma_n, \text{Lie}_n^\ast\otimes \mathbb{F}_p)\) are nontrivial only when \(n=p^k\). The present article gives an alternative proof of this result. Its approach relies on homological computations in categories of modules over the category \(\Omega\) of finite sets and surjections and over the category \(\Gamma\) of finite pointed sets. The proof relies in particular on \textit{T. Pirashvili}'s results [``Dold-Kan type theorem for \(\Gamma\)-groups'', Math. Ann. 318, No. 2, 277-298 (2000; Zbl 0963.18006) and ``Hodge decomposition for higher order Hochschild homology'', Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér., IV. Sér. 33, No. 2, 151-179 (2000; Zbl 0957.18004)]. The authors also recover some results on the homology of configuration spaces from \textit{F. R. Cohen} [``On configuration spaces, their homology, and Lie algebras'', J. Pure Appl. Algebra 100, No. 1-3, 19-42 (1995; Zbl 0921.57011)] and \textit{F. R. Cohen} and \textit{L. R. Taylor} [``On the representation theory associated to the cohomology of configuration spaces'', Contemp. Math. 146, 91-109 (1993; Zbl 0806.57012)].