Classification of Links Up to 0-Solvability

The $n$-solvable filtration of the $m$-component smooth (string) link concordance group, $$\dots \subset \mathcal{F}^m_{n+1} \subset \mathcal{F}^m_{n.5} \subset \mathcal{F}^m_n \dots \subset \mathcal{F}^m_1 \subset \mathcal{F}^m_{0.5} \subset \mathcal{F}^m_0 \subset \mathcal{F}^m_{-0.5} \subset \mathcal{C}^m,$$ as defined by Cochran, Orr, and Teichner, is a tool for studying smooth knot and link concordance that yields important results in low-dimensional topology. The focus of this paper is to give a characterization of the set of 0-solvable links. We introduce a new equivalence relation on links called 0-solve equivalence and establish both an algebraic and a geometric classification of $\mathbb{L}_0^m$, the set of links up to 0-solve equivalence. We show that $\mathbb{L}_0^m$ has a group structure isomorphic to the quotient $\mathcal{F}_{-0.5}/\mathcal{F}_0$ of concordance classes of string links and classify this group, showing that $$\mathbb{L}_0^m \cong \mathcal{F}_{-0.5}^m/\mathcal{F}_0^m \cong \mathbb{Z}_2^m \oplus \mathbb{Z}^{m \choose 3} \oplus \mathbb{Z}_2^{m \choose 2}.$$ Finally, using results of Conant, Schneiderman, and Teichner, we show that 0-solvable links are precisely the links that bound class 2 gropes and support order 2 Whitney towers in the 4-ball.Comment: 34 page

Adic reduction to the diagonal and a relation between cofiniteness and derived completion

We prove two results about the derived functor of $a$-adic completion: (1) Let $K$ be a commutative noetherian ring, let $A$ be a flat noetherian $K$-algebra which is $a$-adically complete with respect to some ideal $a\subseteq A$, such that $A/a$ is essentially of finite type over $K$, and let $M,N$ be finitely generated $A$-modules. Then adic reduction to the diagonal holds: $A\otimes^{L}_{ A\hat{\otimes}_{K} A } ( M\hat{\otimes}^{L}_{K} N ) \cong M \otimes^{L}_A N$. A similar result is given in the case where $M,N$ are not necessarily finitely generated. (2) Let $A$ be a commutative ring, let $a\subseteq A$ be a weakly proregular ideal, let $M$ be an $A$-module, and assume that the $a$-adic completion of $A$ is noetherian (if $A$ is noetherian, all these conditions are always satisfied). Then \mbox{Ext}^i_A(A/a,M) is finitely generated for all $i\ge 0$ if and only if the derived $a$-adic completion \L\hat{\Lambda}_{a}(M) has finitely generated cohomologies over $\hat{A}$. The first result is a far reaching generalization of a result of Serre, who proved this in case $K$ is a field or a discrete valuation ring and $A = K[[x_1,\dots,x_n]]$.Comment: 12 pages. Final version, to appear in Proceedings of the AM