Periodic self maps and thick ideals in the stable motivic homotopy category over \(\mathbb{C}\) at odd primes (Q6148316)

In this paper, the author studies thick subcategories of the stable motivic homotopy category \(\mathcal{SH}(\mathbb{C})\) over the base field \(\mathbb{C}\), building upon work of Ruth Joachimi [\textit{R. Joachimi}, Springer Proc. Math. Stat. 309, 109--219 (2020; Zbl 1475.55023)] and in relation to the thick subcategory theorem [\textit{M. J. Hopkins} and \textit{J. H. Smith}, Ann. Math. (2) 148, No. 1, 1--49 (1998; Zbl 0924.55010)] of classical stable homotopy theory. More precisely, he works with quasi-finite cellular spectra, locally with respect to an odd prime \(\ell\) or after completion. Betti realization yields \(R : \mathcal{SH}(\mathbb{C})^{qfin}_{(\ell)} \rightarrow \mathcal{SH}_{(\ell)}^{fin}\) to the localization of the classical stable homotopy category of finite spectra and one also has the `constant sheaf' functor \(c : \mathcal{SH}_{(\ell)}^{fin} \rightarrow \mathcal{SH}(\mathbb{C})^{qfin}_{(\ell)}\). This gives, for \(\mathcal{C}_n \subset \mathcal{SH}_{(\ell)}^{fin}\) the thick subcategory of type \(n\) spectra, the tensor ideals \[ \mathrm{thickid} (c \mathcal{C}_n) \subseteq R^{-1} (\mathcal{C}_n). \] Joachimi pointed out that there are more thick tensor ideals in the motivic setting. Moreover, nilpotence is more delicate: for example, the motivic \(\eta\) is not nilpotent. She defined the thick ideal \(\mathcal{C}_{AK(n)}\) as the spectra for which \(AK(n)_{**}(-)\) vanishes, for \(AK(n)\) the \(n\)th algebraic Morava \(K\)-theory, and showed that \[\mathcal{C}_{AK(n+1)} \subseteq \mathcal{C}_{AK(n)} \subseteq R^{-1} (\mathcal{C}_{n+1}).\] The author first considers the full subcategory of \(\mathcal{SH}(\mathbb{C})^{qfin}_{(\ell)}\) (or its \(\ell\)-complete variant) admitting a motivic \(v_n\)-self map. Assuming that a motivic nilpotence conjecture holds (this only involves certain bidegrees), he proves that this subcategory is thick. To construct examples of motivic \(v_n\)-self maps (in the \(\ell\)-complete setting), he considers Joachimi's motivic spectrum \(\mathbb{X}_n\), a motivic counterpart of Smith's type \(n\) spectrum. Joachimi showed that \(AK(s)_{**}(\mathbb{X}_n)\) vanishes for \(s<n\) and is non-zero for \(s=n\). The author shows that \(AK(n)_{**}(\mathbb{X}_n)\) is free over \(AK(n)_{**}\), which allows the calculation of \(AK(n)_{**}(D \mathbb{X}_n \wedge \mathbb{X}_n)\) by Künneth. A motivic Adams spectral sequence adaptation of the classical argument then yields a motivic \(v_n\)-self map. To deal with non-nilpotence of motivic \(\eta\), it is natural to smash with the cone \(C_\eta\), thus considering the thick ideals \(\mathrm{thickid}(C_\eta) \cap \mathcal{C}_{AK(n)}\). The author proves that \(C_\eta \wedge \mathbb{X}_{n+1}\) lies in \(\mathcal{C}_{AK(n)}\) but not in \(\mathcal{C}_{AK(n+1)}\), showing that these thick ideals are nonzero and distinct. Finally he shows that the inclusion \(\mathcal{C}_{AK(1)} \subsetneq R^{-1}(\mathcal{C}_2)\) is proper and that \(\mathrm{thickid} (c \mathcal{C}_2)\not \subset \mathcal{C}_{AK(1)}\) (this corrects an assertion of Joachimi's). He indicates that the argument also applies for higher chromatic \(n\).