An \(E_\infty\)-extension of the associahedra and the Tamarkin cell mystery (Q893275)

Algebras over the commutative algebra are given by commutative algebras, but in homotopy-theoretic situations one is also interested in \(E_\infty\)-algebras, which arise as algebras over a cofibrant resolution of the commutative operad and have an up-to-homotopy commutative structure. While such cofibrant resolutions exist for abstract reasons, and several explicit models have been found, they have the disadvantage of being unwieldy, usually being defined by some kind of free resolution or bar construction. A more concrete model was proposed by \textit{E. Getzler} and \textit{J. D. S. Jones} [``Operads, homotopy algebra and iterated integrals for double loop spaces'' [\url{arXiv:hep-th/9403055}], using the Fox-Neuwirth cell decomposition of configuration spaces. However, it is known that this model is not quite correct, due to the existence of ``bad cells'', the first of which was identified by Tamarkin. In this paper, the author identifies an even simpler bad cell, of lower dimension than Tamarkin's, and gives a procedure for modifying Getzler and Jones' operad so that these cells are no longer problematic. Furthermore, a strategy is given for modifying around bad cells with similar dimensional properties. Because bad cells need not satisfy these properties, the question of obtaining a small cofibrant \(E_\infty\)-operad from this approach is still open. Nonetheless, the results of this paper give a promising direction for finding one.