The bar complex of an E-infinity algebra (Q962142)

Let \(A\) be an augmented differential graded algebra over the ground ring \(R\), and let \(B(A)\) be the standard reduced bar complex of \(A\). The construction of the bar complex implies that if \(A\) is a commutative algebra then \(B(A)\) inherits the commutative algebra structure. The paper extends this property to the setting of \(E_{\infty}\)-algebras. Its main results show that if \(A\) is an \(E_{\infty}\)-algebra then \(B(A)\) can be equipped with an \(E_{\infty}\)-algebra structure in a functorial manner. Moreover, such functorial \(E_{\infty}\)-algebra structure on \(B(A)\) is essentially unique. This uniqueness property implies in particular that when \(A\) is a commutative algebra then the \(E_{\infty}\)-algebra structure on \(B(A)\) coincides with the standard commutative algebra structure. As an application of this result the author considers the \(E_{\infty}\)-algebra structure on \(C^{\ast}(X)\), the cochain complex of a topological space \(X\). He shows that under some assumptions on \(X\) the \(n\)-fold bar complex \(B^{n}(C^{\ast}(X))\) is equivalent to \(C^{\ast}(\Omega^{n} X)\), the cochain complex of the \(n\)-fold loop space on \(X\).