Stable homotopy groups of spheres: from dimension 0 to 90 (Q6161724)

This paper provides \(2\)-primary information on the stable homotopy groups of spheres up to dimension \(90\), with only a few undetermined cases. Whilst this continues on from the first author's monograph [\textit{D. C. Isaksen}, Stable stems. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS) (2019; Zbl 1454.55001)], the authors exploit crucial new ingredients here. This is an impressive body of work, representing a snapshot of substantial progress achieved using modern methods. A key ingredient is the interplay between classical and \(\mathbb{C}\)-motivic (cellular) homotopy theory. Recall that motivic homotopy theory provides a second grading (the weight) and one has the motivic homotopy class \(\tau\) (working \(2\)-completely); inverting \(\tau\) allows passage to classical homotopy theory. (As the authors note, the usage of \(\mathbb{C}\)-motivic cellular stable homotopy theory can now be circumvented by using synthetic homotopy theory [\textit{P. Pstragowski}, Invent. Math. 232, No. 2, 553--681 (2023; Zbl 07676257)], but essentially applying the same approach to the calculations.) Here, these methods are made much more powerful and precise by using the results of [\textit{B. Gheorghe} et al., Acta Math. 226, No. 2, 319--407 (2021; Zbl 1478.55006)] which show that \(\mathbb{C}\)-motivic cellular stable homotopy theory is a `deformation' of classical stable homotopy theory: the `generic fibre' is classical stable homotopy theory whereas the `special fibre' is algebraic, identifying with the stable derived category of \(BP_*BP\)-comodules [\textit{M. Hovey}, Contemp. Math. 346, 261--304 (2004; Zbl 1067.18012)]. This is intimately related to the role of the cofibre \(C \tau\) of \(\tau\) in the \(\mathbb{C}\)-motivic stable homotopy category. In particular, the \(\mathbb{C}\)-motivic Adams spectral sequence for \(C \tau\) is isomorphic to the algebraic Novikov spectral sequence that computes the \(E_2\)-page of the \(BP\) Adams-Novikov spectral sequence. The work of the second author [\textit{G. Wang}, Chin. Ann. Math., Ser. B 42, No. 4, 551--560 (2021; Zbl 1471.55001)] has made the latter accessible to machine computation. A further new ingredient is the usage of the motivic modular forms spectrum \(mmf\). The \(\mathbb{C}\)-motivic Adams spectral sequence of \(mmf\) is understood [\textit{D. C. Isaksen}, Homology Homotopy Appl. 11, No. 2, 251--274 (2009; Zbl 1193.55009); \textit{B. Gheorghe} et al., J. Eur. Math. Soc. (JEMS) 24, No. 10, 3597--3628 (2022; Zbl 1498.14050)]; via the unit map this provides information for the motivic sphere spectrum. With these tools in hand, the authors proceed as follows. They first compute by machine the cohomology of the \(\mathbb{C}\)-motivic Steenrod algebra and the algebraic Novikov spectral sequence. Using the cell structure of \(C\tau\), Adams differentials for \(C\tau\) can be pushed forward or pulled back to yield Adams differentials for the motivic sphere spectrum. Further information on Adams differentials is given by standard arguments (such as Toda bracket shuffles) and comparison with the case of \(mmf\). Thereafter, hidden \(\tau\)-extensions are treated. Finally, inverting \(\tau\) yields the required classical information. For some background material, the reader is referred to the first author's monograph; some details are provided on the finer points of Adams spectral sequence calculations, such as hidden extensions, Massey products, Toda brackets and their relations. Of necessity, the paper is not self-contained: the charts and data sets (available on Zenobo, as per references) are essential companions. Indeed, one of the main results is stated as follows: \textit{The classical Adams spectral sequence for the sphere spectrum is displayed in the charts in [\textit{D. C. Isaksen} et al., ``Classical and \(\mathbf{C} \)-motivic Adams charts'', Zenobo (2022; \url{doi:10.5281/zenodo.6987156})], up to the \(90\)-stem}. Most of the results covered in the text are provided in tabular form in the final section of the paper (containing 25 tables over 31 pages). These are mostly for the motivic setting, using the trigrading \((s,f,w)\), where \(s\) is the stem, \(f\) is the Adams filtration, and \(w\) is the motivic weight. The body of the paper serves to explain how these computations are obtained and to offer a guide to the techniques used. The text is not necessarily intended for linear reading; the user will truly appreciate its value when delving deep to understand particular calculations and phenomena. The authors document carefully the remaining unresolved uncertainties that start in dimension \(84\). There are some differentials that are undetermined and also some unresolved hidden \(2\)-extensions. This means that the additive structure of a few stable homotopy groups in this range is not determined here.