Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2005 / iii / Paper 22 / 1

A topological spectrum can be described sequentially by based spaces $E_j$, $j\ge 0$, and structure mapsIterating these maps gives compatible maps $S^{k-j}\wedge E_j\to E_k$. Equivalently, an indexed prespectrum on a universe for spectra $U$ has spaces $E(V)$ and unital associative structure maps $S^{W\ominus V}\wedge E(V)\to E(W)$ for finite-dimensional inclusions $V\subset W\subset U$. Here $S^A$ denotes the one-point compactification of the real inner product space $A$.

A map of topological spectra $u:D\to E$ is a family of based maps $u_j:D_j\to E_j$ satisfyingThe indexed version requires the same compatibility for every inclusion of indexing subspaces. These are point-set maps, before passing to spectrum homotopy or the stable homotopy category.

An Omega-spectrum is a topological spectrum whose adjoint structure mapsare weak homotopy equivalences. Consequently ${\pi }_{k}E={\pi }_{k+j}{E}_j$ whenever $k+j\ge 0$, using the structure identifications. In the genuine indexed point-set convention, the word spectrum already includes the stronger condition that $E(V)\to {\Omega }^{W\ominus V}E(W)$ is a homeomorphism; a general system without that condition is called an indexed prespectrum. Its associated spectrum is obtained by spectrification. The sequential and indexed conventions present the same stable theory.

A cell spectrum is built from the zero topological spectrum by successive stable cell attachments. Concretely, attach a free spectrum on the inclusion $S^{m-1}\hookrightarrow D^m$ at some level $j$ by a pushout along its boundary map; its quotient is the stable cell sphere ${\Sigma }^{m-j}\mathbb{S}$. Iterating such attachments and taking the colimit gives a cell spectrum, with successive quotients wedges of integer suspensions of spectra of the sphere spectrum. Negative cell degrees are allowed by choosing $j>m$. In the genuine indexed model apply spectrification to this cellular prespectrum. The compatibility of the structure maps is part of both the objects and their maps.

Use derived smash products of spectra and replace a based space by a based CW complex when necessary. The reduced represented homology theory of $E$ isThus represented homology theory is covariant in $X$: a based map induces a map of suspension spectra, and hence a map on the stable homotopy groups of the displayed smash product of spectra. In a well-based sequential model the same definition iswith $j$ sufficiently large and transition maps given by suspension followed by the structure map.

The reduced represented cohomology theory isThe brackets denote maps in the stable homotopy category. This is contravariant in $X$, by precomposition. For the Omega-spectrum $E$ it is also the group of based homotopy classes $[X,E_q{]}_{\ast }$, where for negative $q$ we take $E_q={\Omega }^{-q}{E}_0$. More generally, for $j\ge \max (q,0)$ the Omega-spectrum identifications give ${\tilde{E}}^q(X)=[{\Sigma }^{j-q}X,E_j{]}_{\ast }$; the shifts and loops supply its abelian group structure. In particularAll these definitions are reduced: the basepoint itself contributes zero.

Let ${\mathrm{Map}}_{\mathrm{sp}}(D,E)$ be the space of point-set maps of topological spectra. Its underlying set is the first set in the comparison. A member is a compatible collection $D_j\to E_j$, rather than independently chosen maps at the levels.

Because the source is cellular and the target is an Omega-spectrum, taking spectrum homotopy classes gives all maps in the stable homotopy category:Thus the first set maps onto the second. Two point-set maps have the same stable class precisely when they are spectrum-homotopic, using the cellular cylinder and fibrant target. The homotopy must commute with the structure maps throughout; unrelated levelwise homotopies are not the definition.

A stable map $u:D\to E$ induces a degree-preserving additive natural transformation of represented cohomology theories by postcomposition with ${\Sigma }^{q}u$ in degree $q$. This transformation commutes with the suspension isomorphisms. The resulting mapis onto, but need not be one-to-one. Its kernel consists of hyperphantom maps of spectra: maps $u$ for which $uv=0$ for every stable mapfor every based space $X$ and every $j\ge 0$. Equivalently, they induce zero in all degrees of represented cohomology theory on all based spaces. ThereforeThis condition tests arbitrary suspension spectra with negative shifts. Merely testing finite spectra defines a phantom map of spectra, which is a weaker condition. In particular the homology conclusion in Question 5 should not be substituted for the cohomology condition here.

The Yoneda lemma, applied to the representing Omega-spectrum spaces in each degree, makes the comparison more explicit. PutThe structure map of $D$ supplies $T_j\to T_{j+1}$, and $D$ is the homotopy colimit of spectra of this sequence. The inverse-tower transition on maps into $E$ is precomposition with $T_j\to T_{j+1}$. Under the suspension spectrum adjunction it takes $[D_{j+1},E_{j+1}{]}_{\ast }$ to $[D_j,E_j{]}_{\ast }$ by taking the adjoint through $D_j\to \Omega D_{j+1}$ and the Omega-spectrum identification $E_j\simeq \Omega E_{j+1}$.

Consequently the maps of represented cohomology theories are exactly the compatible degreewise operations:Only nonnegative degrees need be listed, since the suspension compatibility recovers the negative degrees. The Milnor exact sequence for maps of spectra gives the sharper descriptionThus $\mathrm{HPh}(D,E)\cong {\lim }_j^1[\Sigma D_j,E_j{]}_{\ast }$, with bonding maps coming from the same telescope. For an inverse tower $A_j$ with maps $r_j:A_{j+1}\to A_j$, $\lim A_j$ is the kernel and ${\lim }^1{A}_j$ is the cokernel ofThe first comparison quotients by spectrum homotopy; the second quotients by hyperphantom maps. These are different identifications.