On the relation of special linear algebraic cobordism to Witt groups

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Abstract: We reconstruct derived Witt groups via special linear algebraic cobordism. There is a morphism of ring cohomology theories which sends the canonical Thom class in special linear cobordism to the Thom class in the derived Witt groups. We show that for every smooth variety X this morphism induces an isomorphism between MSL^{*,*}(X)[h^{-1}] with the "extended" coefficient ring MSL^{4*,2*}(pt) -> W^{2*}(pt) and Laurent polynomial ring over the derived Witt groups W^*(X), where h is the stable Hopf map. This result is an analogue of the result by Panin and Walter reconstructing hermitian K-theory using symplectic algebraic cobordism.


In the article under review the author establishes a new motivic variant of the theorem of Conner-Floyd reconstructing \(K\)-theory from cobordism. More specifically, the article shows that higher Witt theory may be reconstructed from special linear bordism with the Hopf map inverted.NEWLINENEWLINERecall that classically, for a space \(X\) we write \(MU^*(X)\) for the complex cobordism groups, \(KU^*(X)\) for the \(K\)-groups, \(MSp^*(X)\) for the symplectic cobordism groups, and \(KO^*(X)\) for the orthogonal \(K\)-groups. Complex \(K\)-theory is complex oriented, i.e. satisfies a Thom isomorphism formula. Since complex cobordism is the universal complex oriented cohomology theory, there is a natural transformation \(MU^*(X) \to KU^*(X)\). The theorem of Conner-Floyd for \(KU\) can now be stated as NEWLINE\[NEWLINEKU^*(X) \approx MGL^*(X) \otimes_{MGL^*} KU^*.NEWLINE\]NEWLINE Here \(MGL^* := MGL_*(\mathrm{pt})\) denotes the coefficient ring, and similarly for \(KU^*\). (Of course \(MGL^*\) is isomorphic to the Lazard ring by a theorem of Quillen, and \(KU^* = \mathbb{Z}[\beta, \beta^{-1}]\) for some \(\beta\) in degree 2.)NEWLINENEWLINEThere is also a variant for orthogonal \(K\)-theory: even though \(KO\) is not complex orientable, it is symplectically orientable (i.e. satisfies a Thom isomorphism theorem for \textit{symplectic} vector bundles) and hence there is a natural transformation \(MSp^*(X) \to KO^*(X)\) (since symplectic cobordism is the universal symplectically orientable cohomology theory). The Conner-Floyd isomorphism in this setting is NEWLINE\[NEWLINE KO^*(X) \approx MSp^*(X) \otimes_{MSp^*} KO^*. NEWLINE\]NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThere are various motivic analogs of these results. Essentially one may make sense of a notion of an extraordinary cohomology theory for algebraic varieties. These cohomology theories are bigraded, and satisfy many analogs of the classical Eilenberg-Steenrod axioms. For a smooth algebraic variety \(X\) (over a field \(k\)), typical examples of cohomology theories are algebraic cobordism \(MGL^{*,*}(X)\) (as constructed by Voevodsky), higher algebraic \(K\)-theory \(KGL^{*,*}(X)\) (as constructed first by Quillen; here Bott periodicity makes one of the indices redundant), Symplectic cobordism \(MSp^{*,*}(X)\) and special linear cobordism \(MSL^{*,*}(X)\) (as constructed by Panin-Walter), (higher) hermitian \(K\)-theory \(KO^{*,*}(X)\), and higher Witt theory \(KT^{*,*}\) (as constructed by Balmer). There are then the following motivic Conner-Floyd isomorphisms: NEWLINE\[NEWLINE KGL^{*,*}(X) \approx MGL^{*,*}(X) \otimes_{MGL^{2*,*}} KGL^{2*,*} NEWLINE\]NEWLINE (Panin-Pimenov-Röndigs) NEWLINE\[NEWLINE KO^{*,*}(X) \approx MSp^{*,*}(X) \otimes_{MSp^{4*,2*}} KO^{4*,2*} NEWLINE\]NEWLINE (Panin-Walter).NEWLINENEWLINEIn motivic homotopy theory there is an algebraic analog \(\eta\) of the Hopf map. This provides a (graded) endomorphism of any cohomology theory. One may show that Balmer's higher witt theory \(KT\) is given by \(KO[1/\eta]\).NEWLINENEWLINEIn the article under review, the author establishes an isomorphism NEWLINE\[NEWLINE KT^{*,*}(X) \approx MSL[1/\eta]^{*,*}(X) \otimes_{MSL[1/\eta]^{4*,2*}} KT^{4*,2*}. NEWLINE\]NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThe proof of the result combines the Conner-Floyd isomorphism for Hermitian \(K\)-theory as established by Panin-Walter with the careful study of \(\eta\)-inverted cohomology theories of the author.











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