The Hopf rings for \(KO\) and \(KU\) (Q5957267)

A Hopf ring is a commutative graded ring object in the category of coalgebras, i.e., an object with a coproduct and two distinct products. These were originally introduced in topology in [\textit{D. C. Ravenel} and \textit{W. S. Wilson}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 9, 241-280 (1977; Zbl 0373.57020)] to study \(\{E_*(F_n)\}\) where \(E_*(\cdot)\), \(F_*(\cdot)\) are multiplicative homology theories and \(\{F_n\}\) is an \(\Omega\) spectrum representing \(F_*(\cdot)\). The paper under review gives a description of these objects in the case of \(E\) being ordinary \(\operatorname{mod} 2\) homology and \(F\) real or complex \(K\)-theory, with most of the paper devoted to the real case. The calculation proceeds by induction starting with the known \(\operatorname{mod}2\) homology of \(KO_0\) and \(KU_0\) and using the bar spectral sequence to progress from one space to the next. The bar spectral sequence collapses in each case and the extension problems arising are solved using Hopf ring relations and the Verschiebung map.