A nontrivial product in the \(E_2\)-term of the Adams spectral sequence for the sphere spectrum (Q897094)

At each prime \(p\), the Adams spectral sequence converges to the \(p\)-primary stable homotopy groups of spheres, with the \(E_2\)-term \(Ext_A^{s,t}(\mathbb{Z}/p, \mathbb{Z}/p)\), where \(A\) is the mod \(p\) Steenrod algebra. This article focuses on the computation of the Adams \(E_2\)-term for \(p \geq 7\). The computation of the Adams \(E_2\)-term was previously known up to the Adams filtration 3. At filtrations 4 and above, there exists the fourth Greek letter family element \(\tilde{\delta}_{s+4} \neq 0 \in Ext_A^{s+4, *}\) for \(0 \leq s < p-4\) [\textit{X. Wang} and \textit{Q. Zheng}, Sci. China, Ser. A 41, No. 6, 622--628 (1998; Zbl 0947.55015)]. These Greek letter family elements \(\tilde{\delta}_{s+4}\) are closely related to the \(v_4^s\) self-maps on the Smith-Toda complex \(V(3)\), if they exist. The main theorem of this article shows that for \(0 \leq s < p-4\) the product \(h_0h_n\tilde{\delta}_{s+4} \neq 0 \in Ext_A^{s+6, *}\) for \(n=2\) or \(n \geq 5\), and is 0 for \(n=3, 4\). The proof is a detailed computation of the May spectral sequence, which converges to the Adams \(E_2\)-term. Knowing the corresponding elements of \(\tilde{\delta}_{s+4}\) in the May \(E_1\)-term [\textit{X. Liu} and \textit{H. Zhao}, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 137, No. 7, 2489--2496 (2009; Zbl 1196.55016)], it is straightforward to see the corresponding elements of \(h_0h_n\tilde{\delta}_{s+4}\) are permanent cycles in the May spectral sequence. The authors give detailed combinatorial proofs to show that they are not boundaries.