Map of topological spectra ($u:D\to E$)

A map of topological spectra is a compatible family of based maps of the level spaces: $u_{j+1}{\sigma }_j^D={\sigma }_j^E(1\wedge u_j)$. It is distinct from its class in the stable homotopy category.

A phantom map of spectra is a stable map $p:D\to E$ with $pu=0$ for every map $u:F\to D$ from a finite spectrum. Such a map can be nonzero even though it induces zero on all represented homology theories on based spaces.

For a phantom map of spectra $p:D\to E$ and a finite CW complex $K$, Spanier-Whitehead duality identifies $D_k(K)$ with maps from the finite spectrum ${\Sigma }^k({\Sigma }^{\infty }K{)}^{\vee }$. Hence $p_{\ast }=0$ there. An arbitrary CW complex is the filtered union of its finite subcomplexes, and represented homology theory commutes with that filtered union because spheres are compact. Thus $p$ induces zero on the entire represented homology theory.

Choose one representative of each finite spectrum and form $X={\bigvee }_{(F,u:F\to D)}F$. Let $e:X\to D$ evaluate each summand and let $p:D\to \mathrm{cofib}(e)$. Every map from a finite spectrum factors through its corresponding summand, so $p$ is a phantom map of spectra. If $p=0$, exactness supplies a section of $e$, making $D$ a retract of $X$. Consequently a spectrum that is not a retract of any wedge of finite spectra has a nonzero such phantom.

A hyperphantom map of spectra is a stable map $p:D\to E$ such that $pu=0$ for every $u:{\Sigma }^{-j}{\Sigma }^{\infty }X\to D$, for arbitrary based spaces $X$ and all nonnegative $j$. Equivalently it induces zero on the entire represented cohomology theory. This is a stronger condition than being a phantom map of spectra, which tests only finite spectra.

A spectrum homotopy between compatible maps $D\to E$ is a map from the cylinder spectrum $D\wedge [0,1{]}_{+}$ restricting to them at the endpoints. Thus the homotopies at all levels must themselves respect the structure maps.