Topological Hochschild homology of Thom spectra and the free loop space

We describe the topological Hochschild homology of ring spectra that arise as Thom spectra for loop maps f: X->BF, where BF denotes the classifying space for stable spherical fibrations. To do this, we consider symmetric monoidal models of the category of spaces over BF and corresponding strong symmetric monoidal Thom spectrum functors. Our main result identifies the topological Hochschild homology as the Thom spectrum of a certain stable bundle over the free loop space L(BX). This leads to explicit calculations of the topological Hochschild homology for a large class of ring spectra, including all of the classical cobordism spectra MO, MSO, MU, etc., and the Eilenberg-Mac Lane spectra HZ/p and HZ.Comment: 58 page

Alcove path and Nichols-Woronowicz model of the equivariant KK-theory of generalized flag varieties

Fomin and Kirillov initiated a line of research into the realization of the cohomology and $K$-theory of generalized flag varieties $G/B$ as commutative subalgebras of certain noncommutative algebras. This approach has several advantages, which we discuss. This paper contains the most comprehensive result in a series of papers related to the mentioned line of research. More precisely, we give a model for the $T$-equivariant $K$-theory of a generalized flag variety $K_T(G/B)$ in terms of a certain braided Hopf algebra called the Nichols-Woronowicz algebra. Our model is based on the Chevalley-type multiplication formula for $K_T(G/B)$ due to the first author and Postnikov; this formula is stated using certain operators defined in terms of so-called alcove paths (and the corresponding affine Weyl group). Our model is derived using a type-independent and concise approach

Rational motivic path spaces and Kim's relative unipotent section conjecture

We initiate a study of path spaces in the nascent context of "motivic dga's", under development in doctoral work by Gabriella Guzman. This enables us to reconstruct the unipotent fundamental group of a pointed scheme from the associated augmented motivic dga, and provides us with a factorization of Kim's relative unipotent section conjecture into several smaller conjectures with a homotopical flavor. Based on a conversation with Joseph Ayoub, we prove that the path spaces of the punctured projective line over a number field are concentrated in degree zero with respect to Levine's t-structure for mixed Tate motives. This constitutes a step in the direction of Kim's conjecture.Comment: Minor corrections, details added, and major improvements to exposition throughout. 52 page