Calculating obstruction groups for E-infinity ring spectra

We describe a special instance of the Goerss-Hopkins obstruction theory, due to Senger, for calculating the moduli of $E_\infty$ ring spectra with given mod-$p$ homology. In particular, for the $2$-primary Brown-Peterson spectrum we give a chain complex that calculates the first obstruction groups, locate the first potential genuine obstructions, and discuss how some of the obstruction classes can be interpreted in terms of secondary operations.Comment: 27 pages. Comments welcom

The Shimura curve of discriminant 15 and topological automorphic forms

We find defining equations for the Shimura curve of discriminant 15 over Z[1/15]. We then determine the graded ring of automorphic forms over the 2-adic integers, as well as the higher cohomology. We apply this to calculate the homotopy groups of a spectrum of "topological automorphic forms" associated to this curve, as well as one associated to a quotient by an Atkin-Lehner involution.Comment: 36 pages, 5 figures, updated with corrections and new introduction (this version corrects image issues in the previous

Localization of enriched categories and cubical sets

The invertibility hypothesis for a monoidal model category S asks that localizing an S-enriched category with respect to an equivalence results in an weakly equivalent enriched category. This is the most technical among the axioms for S to be an excellent model category in the sense of Lurie, who showed that the category of S-enriched categories then has a model structure with characterizable fibrant objects. We use a universal property of cubical sets, as a monoidal model category, to show that the invertibility hypothesis is consequence of the other axioms

Structured ring spectra and displays

We combine Lurie's generalization of the Hopkins-Miller theorem with work of Zink-Lau on displays to give a functorial construction of even-periodic commutative ring spectra, concentrated in chromatic layers 2 and above, associated to certain n by n invertible matrices with coefficients in Witt rings. This is applied to examples related to Lubin-Tate and Johnson-Wilson spectra. We also give a Hopf algebroid presentation of the moduli of p-divisible groups of height greater than or equal to 2.Comment: 18 page

The product formula in unitary deformation K-theory

We prove that "unitary deformation K-theory" takes products of finitely generated groups to coproducts of algebra spectra over ku, the connective K-theory spectrum. Additionally, we give spectral sequences for computing the homotopy groups of the unitary deformation K-theory of a group G and the cofiber of the Bott map in terms of PU(n)-equivariant K-theory and homology of spaces of G-representations.Comment: 36 pages (revised version

Secondary power operations and the Brown-Peterson spectrum at the prime 2

The dual Steenrod algebra has a canonical subalgebra isomorphic to the homology of the Brown-Peterson spectrum. We will construct a secondary operation in mod-2 homology and show that this canonical subalgebra is not closed under it. This allows us to conclude that the 2-primary Brown-Peterson spectrum does not admit the structure of an E_n-algebra for any n greater than or equal to 12, answering a question of May in the negative.Comment: Revised version with some expanded details. Comments welcom

The Bott cofiber sequence in deformation K-theory and simultaneous similarity in U(n)

We show that there is a homotopy cofiber sequence of spectra relating Carlsson's deformation K-theory of a group G to its "deformation representation ring," analogous to the Bott periodicity sequence relating connective K-theory to ordinary homology. We then apply this to study simultaneous similarity of unitary matrices

Regularity of structured ring spectra and localization in K-theory

We identify a regularity property for structured ring spectra, and with it we prove a natural analogue of Quillen's localization theorem for algebraic K-theory in this setting.Comment: 9 pages. Corrected references and aspects of the expositio

Brauer groups and Galois cohomology of commutative ring spectra

In this paper we develop methods for classifying Baker-Richter-Szymik's Azumaya algebras over a commutative ring spectrum, especially in the largely inaccessible case where the ring is nonconnective. We give obstruction-theoretic tools, constructing and classifying these algebras and their automorphisms with Goerss-Hopkins obstruction theory, and give descent-theoretic tools, applying Lurie's work on $\infty$-categories to show that a finite Galois extension of rings in the sense of Rognes becomes a homotopy fixed-point equivalence on Brauer spaces. For even-periodic ring spectra $E$, we find that the "algebraic" Azumaya algebras whose coefficient ring is projective are governed by the Brauer-Wall group of $\pi_0(E)$, recovering a result of Baker-Richter-Szymik. This allows us to calculate many examples. For example, we find that the algebraic Azumaya algebras over Lubin-Tate spectra have either 4 or 2 Morita equivalence classes depending on whether the prime is odd or even, that all algebraic Azumaya algebras over the complex K-theory spectrum $KU$ are Morita trivial, and that the group of the Morita classes of algebraic Azumaya algebras over the localization $KU[1/2]$ is $\Bbb Z/8 \times \Bbb Z/2$. Using our descent results and an obstruction theory spectral sequence, we also study Azumaya algebras over the real K-theory spectrum $KO$ which become Morita-trivial $KU$-algebras. We show that there exist exactly two Morita equivalence classes of these. The nontrivial Morita equivalence class is realized by an "exotic" $KO$-algebra with the same coefficient ring as $End_{KO}(KU)$. This requires a careful analysis of what happens in the homotopy fixed-point spectral sequence for the Picard space of $KU$, previously studied by Mathew and Stojanoska.Comment: 51 pages, 3 figures. Comments welcom

Commutativity conditions for truncated Brown-Peterson spectra of height 2

An algebraic criterion, in terms of closure under power operations, is determined for the existence and uniqueness of generalized trun- cated Brown-Peterson spectra of height 2 as E_\infty-ring spectra. The criterion is checked for an example at the prime 2 derived from the universal elliptic curve equipped with a level \Gamma_1(3)-structure.Comment: minor revision, essentially in final form, to appear in Journal of Topolog