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A Survey of Elliptic Cohomology - towards a proof

Abstract This entry attempts to give an outline of a proof of Lurie’s main theorem.

This is a sub-entry of

see there for background and context.

Here are the entries on the previous sessions:


Towards a proof

Recall the main theorem.

Theorem

(J. Lurie)

For

There exists a derived Deligne-Mumford stack M Der=(M,O Der) such that we have an equivalence

Hom(SpecA,M Der)E(A)Hom(Spec A, M^{Der}) \simeq E(A)

natural in A.

And O Der provides the lift of Goerss-Hopkins-Miller.

Preliminaries

Recall that for A an E -ring a derived elliptic curve F is a commutative derived group scheme over A such that F 0 over π 0A is an elliptic curve.

Denote by E(A) the space of preoriented (derived) elliptic curves (so equipped with a map P F(SpecA). And E(A) the space of oriented elliptic curves.

Note that a map SpecAM Der is a map Specπ 0AM 1,1 and a map of rings O(Specπ 0A)A.

Representability

In his thesis, Lurie proves the following.

Proposition. Let F be a functor from connective E -ring spectra to spaces s.t.

  1. The restriction of F to discrete rings is represented by a (classical) DM-stack X, i.e. F(R)NervX(R);

  2. F is a sheaf with respect to the etale topology;

  3. F has a good deformation theory.

Then there exists a derived DM-stack (X,O^) representing F s.t. O^(U) is connective for U affine.

Examples.

  1. The functor E: observe that every classical elliptic curve over a discrete R has a unique preorientation. Hence E is represented by DM-stack (M,O).

  2. The functor E: the theorem doesn’t apply as a discrete ring cannot be weakly periodic.

Claim. (M,O) represents E for all E -rings, so we dropped connectivity.

Proof. Recall the map Aτ 0A to the connected cover.

  1. Let A be an E -ring, then we have an equivalence
Hom(O(Specπ 0τ 0A),τ 0A)Hom(O(Specπ 0A),A).\mathrm{Hom} (O' (\mathrm{Spec} \pi_0 \tau_{\ge 0} A) , \tau_{\ge 0} A ) \to \mathrm{Hom} (O' (\mathrm{Spec} \pi_0 A) , A).
  1. E(τ 0AE(A) since every elliptic curve is by definition flat.

We need the following to prove the claim.

Proposition. The functor MM τ 0AA, from flat modules over τ 0A to flat modules over A is an equivalence.

Proof of proposition (sketch). Let M,N be A-modules then there is a spectral sequence

Tor p π *A(π *M,π *N) qπ p+q(M AN).\mathrm{Tor}_{p}^{\pi_* A} (\pi_* M, \pi_* N )_q \Rightarrow \pi_{p+q} (M \otimes_A N ) .

Suppose M is flat, then

Tor p π *A(π *M,π *N)=π *N π 0Aπ 0M\mathrm{Tor}_{p}^{\pi_* A} (\pi_* M , \pi_* N) = \pi_* N \otimes_{\pi_0 A} \pi_0 M

if p=0 and 0 otherwise. Thus,

π *(M AN)π *N π 0Aπ 0M.\pi_* (M \otimes_A N ) \simeq \pi_* N \otimes_{\pi_0 A} \pi_0 M .

So we have

F:Mod flat(τ 0A)Mod flat(A):G.F: \mathrm{Mod}^{flat} (\tau_{\ge 0} A ) \leftrightarrow \mathrm{Mod}^{flat} (A) : G .

This is an equivalence and F respects the monoidal structure, hence the equivalence extends to the categories of algebras and the proposition (and hence claim) is proved.

We need to know that π iO are coherent sheaves over M 1,1, where a coherent sheaf is an assignment SpecRM 1,1 which behaves well under finite limits. Let ω be the line bundle of invariant differentials on M 1,1 so that is

ω=e *Ω F SpecR.\omega = e^* \Omega_{F |_{\mathrm{Spec} R}}.

Recall that a preorientation determines a map β:ωπ 2(O). So define a sheaf of E -rings O as O[β 1] which is characterized (maybe) by

π nO=lim(π n+2kO O 1,1ω k).\pi_n O = \lim ( \pi_{n+2k} O' \otimes_{O_{1,1}} \omega^{-k} ) .

Remark.

  • This formula comes from a much simpler situation…Let R be (an honest to God) ring, xR then
R[x 1]lim(RxRx)R[x^{-1}] \simeq \lim (R \stackrel{x}{\to} R \stackrel{x}{\to} \dots )
  • Suppose UM 1,1 with U affine, ω restricted to U is trivialized then O(U)=A and βπ 2A. Hence, O[β 1](U)=A[β 1] and we get the formula above π i(A[β 1])=(π iA)[β 1].

More generally, for UM 1,1 we have that O(U) is weakly periodic, so

π 2O(U) π 0O(U)π nO(U)π n+2O(U)\pi_2 O (U) \otimes_{\pi_0 O(U)} \pi_n O(U) \to \pi_{n+2} O (U)

is an equivalence.

  • (M,O) classifies oriented elliptic curve. Let F over U=SpecB be a preoriented elliptic curve over B, so we have the classifying map f:O(U)=AB and this is an orientation iff
π nB π 0Bωπ n+2B\pi_n B \otimes_{\pi_0 B} \omega \to \pi_{n+2} B

is an isomorphism. This map can be identified with ×β, so the preorientation is an orientation iff there is a unique factorization through O(U)=A[β 1].

Reduction

Claim. To prove the theorem it is enough to show

  1. O 1,1=π 0Oπ 0O is an isomorphism;

  2. For n odd, the sheaf π nO=0.

Proof. Suppose (1) and (2) hold. Let f:SpecRM 1,1 be etale for R discrete. We must show that O(SpecR) is an elliptic cohomology theory associated to f. Condition (1) ensures π 0AR, (2) guarantees evenness and from above we have weakly periodic. We must show that SpfA 0(P )E^ f which follows from having an orientation.

Reducing to a Local Calculation

We wish to show that π nO=0 for n odd. From above, it suffices to show that

f k:π n+2kOω kπ nOf_k : \pi_{n+2k} O' \otimes \omega^{-k} \to \pi_n O

is zero for all k. Note that im(f k) is a quotient of π n+2kOim(f k) which is coherent. Suppose p is an etale cover of M 1,1 then im(f k)=0 iff p iim(f k)=0. We can find an etale cover by a disjoint union of level 3 and level 4 modular forms denoted SpecR.

That M:=p iim(f k)=0 is equivalent to M RR/m for all mR. It is not difficult to show that all residue fields R/m are finite in this case.

Now it is enough to show condition (2) formally locally as R^ m/mR m/m.

Key Ingredients

In the previous section we had a moduli stack preoriented elliptic curves (M,O). The structure sheaf of O took values in connected E -rings. We had a refinement (M,O) which was a moduli stack for oriented elliptic curves. From the orientation condition we deduced that the structure sheaf took values in weakly periodic E -rings.

Further, we showed how to reduce the main theorem to a (formal) local computation. That is, we only need to consider R^ m, the completion of a ring localized at a maximal ideal.

We delay the completion of the proof until later, but now we introduce the key technical tool: p-divisible groups.

p-divisible Groups

Let R be a complete, local ring (e.g. the p-adic integers p) and E 0 an elliptic curve over R 0:=R/M=F q. What do we need in order to lift E 0 to an elliptic curve over R?

Let p be a prime (say the characteristic of F q) and E an elliptic curve over R. Using the multiplication by p map p n:EE we can define a sheaf of Abelian groups

E[p ]:=colimE[p n],E[p^\infty] := \mathrm{colim} \; E[p^n],

where E[p n] is the kernel of the map p n. That is, E[p n] corresponds to the p-torsion points of E.

Definition. A p-divisible group over R is a sheaf of Abelian groups on the flat site of schemes over R such that

  1. p n: is surjective;

  2. =colim[p n] where =ker(p n:).

  3. [p n] is a finite, flat, commutative R-group scheme. Note that finite means that is affine and whose global sections is a finite R-module.

For instance, the constant sheaf p̲ is a p-divisible group.

Serre-Tate Theory

Now let R, in addition to above, be Noetherian with residue field F q for q=p n.

Theorem (Serre-Tate). Let E¯ be an elliptic curve over F q, then there is an equivalence of categories between elliptic curves over R that restrict to E¯ and the category of p-divisible groups over R such that the restriction of to F q is E¯[p ].

The theorem is somewhat surprising as, a priori, the latter category sees only torsion phenomena of the elliptic curves.

Derived Serre-Tate Theory

Definition. Let A be an E -ring. A functor from commutative A-algebras to topological Abelian groups is a p-divisible group if

  1. B(B) is a sheaf;

  2. p n: is surjective;

  3. (ho)colim[p n], where as above [p n]:=(ho)kerp n;

  4. [p n] is a derived commutative group scheme over A which is finite and flat.

If is a p-divisible group over F q, then [p] is a finite F q-module of dimension r called the rank of .

Proposition. If =E[p ], for E an elliptic curve, then has rank 2.

One can verify the proposition over pretty easily; it is more subtle over a finite field. We have a derived version of the Serre-Tate theorem.

Theorem (Serre-Tate). Let A be an E -ring such that π 0A is a complete, local, Noetherian ring and π iA are finitely generated π 0A-modules. Let E 0 be a (derived) elliptic curve over π 0A/M, then there is an equivalence of -categories: elliptic curves over A that restrict to E 0 and p-divisible groups over A that restrict to E 0[p ].

Proof of the Classical Theorem

We give a proof of the classical result, however the proof is quite formal and should carry over to the derived setting.

Let R be a ring as in the theorem such that NR=0 for some N and let IR be a nilpotent ideal, so I r+1=0, and set R 0=R/I. Let :RalgAb and

I(A):=ker((A)(A/IA).\mathfrak{I}_I (A) := \mathrm{ker} \; ( \mathfrak{I} (A) \to \mathfrak{I} (A / I \cdot A ) .

Further, define

¯(A):=ker((A)(A/nilRA)) I(A).\overline{\mathfrak{I}} (A) := \mathrm{ker} \; (\mathfrak{I}(A) \to \mathfrak{I} (A / \mathrm{nil}R \cdot A)) \subset \mathfrak{I}_I (A) .

Lemma. If is a formal group over R, then I is annihilated by N r.

Proposition. Let , be elliptic curves or p-divisible groups over R and let N=p n. Denote by 0 and 0 the restriction of and to R 0-algebras. Then

  1. Hom Rgrp(,) and Hom R 0grp( 0, 0) have no N-torsion;

  2. Hom(,)Hom( 0, 0) is injective;

  3. For f 0: 0 0 there is a unique homomorphism N rf: which lifts N rf 0;

  4. f 0: 0 0 lifts to f: if and only if N rf annihilates [N r].

Note that if E is an elliptic curve over R then the E 0 above is given by

E 0=E× SpecRSpecR/I.E_0 = E \times_{\mathrm{Spec} \; R} \mathrm{Spec} \; R/I .

Using the previous results one can prove the following alternate version of the Serre-Tate theorem.

Theorem (alternative Serre-Tate). Let R be a ring with p nilpotent and IR a nilpotent ideal. Let R 0=R/I. We have a categorical equivalence: elliptic curves over R and the category of triples {(E,E 0[p ],ϵ)}; where E is an elliptic curve over R 0, E 0[p ] is a p-divisble group over R, and ϵ:E 0[p ]E[p ] 0 is a natural isomorphism.

Adding in Completions

We really want to consider elliptic curves over R completed by an ideal m, this is the R^ m from far above. We can reduce this problem to that of elliptic curves over R and a system of p-divisible groups over R/m n by combining the Serre-Tate theorem and the following theorem of Grothendieck.

Theorem (Formal GAGA). Let X,Y be exceedingly nice schemes over R and X^, Y^ be their formal completions, then there is a bijection

Hom R(X,Y)Hom R^(X^,Y^).\mathrm{Hom}_{R} (X,Y) \leftrightarrow \mathrm{Hom}_{\hat R} (\hat X, \hat Y).

Deformation Theory

Fix a morphism SpecF qM 1,1, that is an elliptic curve E 0/k. Let O k be the sheaf over M 1,1 that classifies deformations of E 0 to oriented elliptic curves over A where A is an E -ring with π 0A a complete, local ring.

Let us assume for the moment that M 1,1=SpecR (more generally we pass to an affine cover). One can show that O k moreover classifies oriented p-divisible groups which deform E 0[p ].

Deformations of FGLs and Lubin-Tate Spectra

Recall that for F,G formal group laws over R a morphism is fR[[x]] with f(0)=0 such that f(X+ FY)=f(X)+ Gf(Y). Now, let k be a field of characteristic p and F,G formal group laws over k. Let f:FG be a morphism, then

f=x p n+f = x^{p^n} + \dots

where n is the height? of f. For F a formal group law the height of F, htF, is the height of [p]F, that is the multiplication by p map.

Let Γ be a formal group law over k, then a deformation of F consists of a complete local ring B (B/M=k) and F a formal group law over B such that p *F=Γ, where p:BB/M is the canonical surjection. To such deformations F 1,F 2 are isomorphic if there is an isomorphism f:F 1F 2 which induces the identity on p *F 1=p *F 2=Γ.

Theorem (Lubin-Tate). Let k,Γ as above with htΓ< then there exists a complete local ring E(k,Γ) with residue field k and a formal group law over E(k,Γ), F univ which reduces to Γ such that there is a bijection of sets

Hom(E(k,Γ),R)Deform(Γ,R).\mathrm{Hom} (E(k, \Gamma) , R) \to \mathrm{Deform} (\Gamma, R) .

If k=F p, then E(k,Γ) p[[u 1,dotsc,u n1]] where htΓ=n. More generally, if k=F q, then E(k, \Gamma) \simeq W\mathbf{F}_q u_1 , \dotsc , u_{n-1}$, that is, the Witt ring.

Let E(k,Γ),F univ as in the theorem, then we define F¯ univ over E(k,Γ)[u ±], degree u=2, by F¯ univ(X,Y)=u 1F univ(uX,uY). We then define a homology theory as

(E k,Γ) *(X)=E(K,Γ)[[u ±]] MU *MU *(X).( E_{k,\Gamma})_* (X) = E(K,\Gamma)[ [u^\pm] ] \otimes_{MU_*} MU_* (X).

Define a category (really a stack and let p and n vary) FG of pairs (k,Γ) where chark=p and htΓ=n. By associating to any such pair its Lubin-Tate theory we get a functor from FG to multiplicative cohomology theories.

Theorem (Hopkins-Miller I). This functor lifts to E -rings.

The philosophy is that there should be a sheaf of E -rings on the stack of formal groups FG with global sections the sphere spectrum. Then tmf and taf are low height approximations.

Let E LT be the subcategory of E -rings such that the associated cohomology theory is isomorphic to some E k,Γ.

Theorem (Hopkins-Miller II). π:E LTFG is a weak equivalence of topological categories. That is, the lift above is pretty unique.

This implies Hopkins-Miller I by taking a Kan extension FGE along the inclusion E LTE .

The Final Sprint

Let us sketch how to proceed…Let be a p-divisible group over A with π 0A complete and local. Then fits in an exact sequence

0^ et0.0 \to \hat \mathfrak{I} \to \mathfrak{I} \to \mathfrak{I}_{et} \to 0 .

There are two cases: either the underlying elliptic curve E 0 is super singular (htE 0=2), else E 0 is ordinary.

The Supersingular Case

In this case E 0^[p ]=E 0[p ], so one can show ^= for every deformation. Now an orientation means

^SpfA P [p ],\widehat{\mathfrak{I}} \simeq \mathrm{Spf} \; A^{\mathbb{C}P^\infty}[p^\infty],

so E k,E 0^ classifies deformations to oriented p-divisible groups, hence O kE k,E 0^. By construction E k,E 0^ is even.

The Ordinary Case

This is more subtle (see DAG IV 3.4.1 for some hints).

First we can analyze the formal part of the exact sequence and see that deformations to formal p-divisible groups of height 1 are classified by E k,E 0^[p ]. By analyzing extensions etale k-algebras we see that O kE k,E 0^ P . The homotopy groups are then E k,E 0^[[t]] and are odd as the degree of t is 0.

Revised on December 14, 2009 14:33:29 by Ryan Grady (195.37.209.182)