Connective spectrum 2026-10-14
A connective spectrum has for . This makes the homological Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence first quadrant for a based space, and prevents negative coefficient degrees from affecting its first nonzero represented homology theory.
Use derived smash products of spectra and replace a based space by a based CW complex when necessary. The reduced represented homology theory of is
Thus represented homology theory is covariant in : 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 is
with sufficiently large and transition maps given by suspension followed by the structure map.
The reduced represented cohomology theory is
The brackets denote maps in the stable homotopy category. This is contravariant in , by precomposition. For the Omega-spectrum it is also the group of based homotopy classes , where for negative we take . More generally, for the Omega-spectrum identifications give ; the shifts and loops supply its abelian group structure. In particular
All these definitions are reduced: the basepoint itself contributes zero.
Take a based CW complex model for . Since it is -connected and , its reduced ordinary homology vanishes below degree , with arbitrary constant coefficients. This also follows from a CW complex model with no non-basepoint cells below degree . The connective spectrum has for .
Filter by its skeleta. The quotients of consecutive stages are wedges of spheres, so the exact sequences in represented homology theory give the homological Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence
It is first quadrant because is a connective spectrum. In a fixed total degree it converges with a finite filtration: cells of sufficiently high dimension cannot contribute in that degree or affect it through a boundary, by the same connectivity bound.
In total degree , every term with is zero, and terms with are zero. The only possible term is
No differential can leave it: the target has spatial degree . No differential can enter it: its source would be , whose coefficient degree is negative for every . Thus it survives unchanged and is the only filtration quotient of ; there is no extension problem. The ordinary Hurewicz theorem now yields
The isomorphism uses the stated identification and is natural in . This is the bottom-degree generalized Hurewicz isomorphism.
Choose basepoints and replace the spaces and map by CW complex models. If the hypothesis is stated for unreduced represented homology theory, the basepoint coefficient summands split naturally, so it also gives an isomorphism in reduced represented homology theory. Let be the homotopy mapping cone of . Its reduced represented homology theory is zero in every degree, by the exact sequence of the corresponding cofiber sequence of spectra.
The mapping cone is a simply connected space: the mapping cylinder retracts onto , and coning off the path-connected space adds no fundamental-group generators; the van Kampen calculation gives the quotient of by the image of , which is trivial. Suppose some positive-degree integral homology group of were nonzero, and let be the least such degree. Then . Starting with , the Hurewicz theorem shows inductively that for : at each first possible degree , its homotopy group is identified with the zero group . It then identifies
Applying the result of part (a) to the -connected based space gives , contradicting the vanishing of its represented homology theory.
Thus is integrally acyclic, and the ordinary homology exact sequence says that is an integral homology isomorphism. The allowed homological Whitehead theorem for simply connected spaces makes the map of CW complex models a homotopy equivalence. Returning to the original spaces therefore gives
The simply connected hypothesis is used both in the first-nonzero-degree Hurewicz theorem argument and in the final homological Whitehead theorem.
Choose a small skeleton of the finite spectra, including every integer suspension. There is such a set of representatives: a finite list of stable cells and their attaching maps specifies a finite cell model, and the possible attaching maps form sets. For every and every stable map , take one copy of and form
Define the evaluation map by taking its restriction to the summand to be . Complete it to the cofiber sequence of spectra
This is the universal evaluation phantom map construction.
First, is nonzero. If , applying to the cofiber sequence of spectra gives the exact portion
Since , exactness supplies with . Thus is a retract of . This is also a wedge summand: complete to a cofiber sequence of spectra . The left inverse makes this triangle split, giving in the stable homotopy category. One can see the splitting directly from exactness: the connecting map is zero because extends across , and consequently the quotient map admits a section. This contradicts the assumption on . Hence .
For any finite spectrum and any , its chosen representative has a summand inclusion with , after transferring along the representative isomorphism. Consecutive maps of a cofiber sequence of spectra compose to zero, so
Thus is a phantom map of spectra. To establish the requested conclusion on all spaces, rather than just coefficient groups, let first be a finite based CW complex. Put . The Spanier-Whitehead dual is a finite spectrum. The evaluation and coevaluation adjunction of Spanier-Whitehead duality identifies
Under this identification is postcomposition with . Its source is a finite spectrum, including when is negative, so the calculation proves that is zero on for every .
Now let be an arbitrary based CW complex. It is the filtered union, or filtered homotopy colimit of spaces, of its finite based subcomplexes . The suspension spectrum functor and smash product of spectra preserve that homotopy colimit. The shifted sphere spectrum is compact, so taking stable homotopy groups gives
Every element of the first group therefore comes from a finite , where has just been proved zero. Consequently is zero on as well. A based CW complex replacement extends the conclusion to arbitrary based spaces in the homotopy category. We have constructed
This uses continuity of represented homology theory, not a continuity assertion for represented cohomology theory; the latter need not hold.
For a phantom map of spectra and a finite CW complex , Spanier-Whitehead duality identifies with maps from the finite spectrum . Hence 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 induces zero on the entire represented homology theory.