Localization sequences for logarithmic topological Hochschild homology (Q889958)

A popular method to study the algebraic \(K\)-theory of a ring \(A\) these days is the cyclotomic trace map \(K(A)\to \mathrm{TC}(A)\) from the \(K\)-theory spectrum of \(A\) to the topological cyclic homology spectrum of \(A\). Sometimes, the trace map seems not to give much information. The present papers suggests that a heuristic for this lack of information is the differences in the way \(K\)-theory and topological Hochschild/cyclic homology (THH/TC) behave on localisation. The example given in the paper is \(K\)-theory homotopy cofiber sequence \(K(A)\to K(F)\to \sum K(k)\) where \(F/\mathbb{Q}_p\) is a finite extension, \(A\) is the ring of integers of \(F\) and \(k\) is the residue field. In this case, the corresponding diagrams for THH and TC are not homotopy cofiber sequences. It is possible, however, to form somewhat analogous cofiber sequences for THH and TC. In fact, there are two known ways to do this. The first is the ``relative'' construction of \textit{L. Hesselholt} and \textit{I. Madsen} [Ann. Math. (2) 158, No. 1, 1--113 (2003; Zbl 1033.19002)], and the second, topological logarithmic structures, is the topic of the work under review. The reason for this second method is that it some cases it may be easier to compute with, and it should be quite exciting to see what new information about algebraic \(K\)-theory that the present results can unearth. The principal objects studied in this paper are the THH and TC of pre-log rings and their spectrified pre-log ring spectra. A pre-log ring is a pair \((A,M)\) where \(A\) is a commutative ring, \(M\) is a commutative monoid, together with homomorphism \(\alpha:M\to (A,\cdot)\) of monoids, where \(\cdot\) denotes the multiplication of \(A\). The authors define \(\mathrm{THH}(A,M)\) for a pre-log ring spectrum \((A,M)\) and their main result is that it fits into a homotopy cofiber sequence \[ \mathrm{THH}(A)\to\mathrm{THH}(A,M)\to\Sigma\mathrm{THH}(A/M_{>0}) \] where \(\mathrm{THH}(A/M_{>0})\) is another commutative ring spectrum defined in terms of \((A,M)\). In particular cases, \(A/M_{>0}\) has a concrete description. For example, if \(E\) is a \(d\)-periodic commutative ring spectrum with connective cover \(j:e\to E\), then this term is stably equivalent to the \((d-1)\)th Postnikov section of \(e\). For an algebraic example, if \(B\) is a commutative ring, \(N\) the free monoid on one generator and \(\beta:N\to (B,\cdot)\) sends the generator of \(N\) to a nonzerodivisor \(x\in B\) then their main theorem gives the cofiber sequence \[ \mathrm{THH}(B)\to\mathrm{THH}(B,N)\to\Sigma\mathrm{THH}(B/x). \] The paper has seven sections together with one appendix containing a technical result, all of which are contained in forty pages. Sections 2--4 are devoted to defining the THH of \((A,M)\) and establishing some properties. Section 5 discuss the special case where \((A,M)\) is a pre-log ring, and establishes some homotopy cofiber sequences such as the one we mentioned in this case. As we have mentioned, a particular case of interest is when \(B\) is a discrete valuation ring, so that the pre-log ring is \((B,\langle \pi\rangle)\) where \(\pi\) is a uniformiser in \(B\). The cofiber sequence constructed should then be the same as the homotopy cofiber sequence constructed by Hesselholt and Madsen, and the authors leave this as an open question. As evidence towards such a statement however, for a prime \(p\) they do prove that there is an isomorphism of \(\overline{\pi}_*(\mathbb{Z}_p)\)-algebras \[ \overline{\pi}_*\mathrm{THH}(\mathbb{Z}_p,\langle p\rangle)\cong \overline{\pi}_*\mathrm{THH}(\mathbb{Z}_p|\mathbb{Q}_p) \] where \(\overline{\pi}_*\) denotes the mod-\(p\) homotopy groups. The last two sections derive the homotopy cofiber sequence of their main theorem in general.