The stable Adams conjecture and higher associative structures on Moore spectra

Homotopy theory and fundamental groups in algebraic geometry (14F35) (J)-homomorphism, Adams operations (19L20) Spectra with additional structure ((E_infty), (A_infty), ring spectra, etc.) (55P43) Infinite loop spaces (55P47) Sphere bundles and vector bundles in algebraic topology (55R25)

Abstract: In this paper, we provide a new proof of the stable Adams conjecture. Our proof constructs a canonical null-homotopy of the stable J-homomorphism composed with a virtual Adams operation, by applying the

m a t h r m K

-theory functor to a multi-natural transformation. We also point out that the original proof of the stable Adams conjecture is incorrect and present a correction. This correction is crucial to our main application. We settle the question on the height of higher associative structures on the mod

p^{k}

Moore spectrum

m a t h r m M_{p} (k)

at odd primes. More precisely, for any odd prime

p

, we show that

m a t h r m M_{p} (k)

admits a Thomified

m a t h b b A_{n}

-structure if and only if

n < p^{k}

. We also prove a weaker result for

p = 2

.

Review text

The Adams conjecture, proven in different ways by \textit{D. Quillen} [Topology 10, 67--80 (1971; Zbl 0219.55013)] and \textit{D. Sullivan} [Ann. Math. (2) 100, 1--79 (1974; Zbl 0355.57007)], states that for \(p\) odd and \(q\) a topological generator of \(\hat{\mathbb{Z}}_p^\times\), the composite \[\mathrm{J} \circ (\psi^q - 1) : \mathrm{BU} \to \mathrm{BU} \to \mathrm{BSL}_1(\mathbb{S})\] of the relevant Adams operation and the \(\mathrm{J}\)-homomorphism is \(p\)-locally nullhomotopic. The stable Adams conjecture is the stronger statement that this composite ought to be null as an infinite loop map. This paper provides two new proofs of the stable Adams conjecture, and shows that the previously accepted proof [\textit{E. M. Friedlander}, Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 87, 109--150 (1980; Zbl 0426.55010)] is incorrect. The first new proof proceeds by applying the \(\mathrm{K}\)-theory functor to a certain multinatural transformation. The second new proof is essentially a correction to Friedlander's work. The authors give applications to the existence of \(\mathbb{A}_n\)-structures on Moore spectra \(\mathrm{M}_p(i)\). Following recent work of the first author [Adv. Math. 402, Article ID 108319, 26 p. (2022; Zbl 1501.55010)], they observe that \(\mathrm{M}_p(i)\) is the Thom spectrum associated to a map \(f_{p,i}: S^1 \to \mathrm{BGL}_1(\hat{\mathbb{S}}_p)\) representing a class \(1+p^i u \in \pi_1(\hat{\mathbb{S}}_p) \cong \hat{\mathbb{Z}}_p\), for \(u \in \hat{\mathbb{Z}}_p^\times\), and that if \(f_{p,i}\) is an \(\mathbb{A}_n\)-map then \(\mathrm{M}_p(i)\) inherits an \(\mathbb{A}_n\)-structure. They define a Thomified \(\mathbb{A}_n\)-structure to be one induced in this manner. At odd primes \(p\), the authors show that \(\mathrm{M}_p(i)\) admits a Thomified \(\mathbb{A}_n\)-structure if and only if \(n < p^i\) (Theorem 1.13). When \(p=2\), the result is slightly weaker: they show that for \(i \geq 3\), \(\mathrm{M}_2(i)\) admits a Thomified \(\mathbb{A}_{2^{i-1}-1}\)-structure but does not admit a Thomified \(\mathbb{A}_{2^i}\)-structure. The authors point out (Remark 7.7) that there may exist `exotic' (i.e. not Thomified) \(\mathbb{A}_n\)-structures on \(\mathrm{M}_p(i)\), and suggest this as a direction for future work.

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