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57 votes
2 answers
7k views

What arithmetic information is contained in the algebraic K-theory of the integers

I'm always looking for applications of homotopy theory to other fields, mostly as a way to make my talks more interesting or to motivate the field to non-specialists. It seems like most talks about ...
David White's user avatar
  • 30.3k
104 votes
10 answers
24k views

Motivation for algebraic K-theory?

I'm looking for a big-picture treatment of algebraic K-theory and why it's important. I've seen various abstract definitions (Quillen's plus and Q constructions, some spectral constructions like ...
14 votes
2 answers
2k views

Motivic cohomology and cohomology of Milnor K-theory sheaf

Let $X$ be a smooth variety over a field $k$. (Assume $k$ has characteristic 0 if it helps; in fact I'd be happy to assume that $k$ is a finite extension of either $\mathbf{Q}$ or $\mathbf{Q}_p$). ...
David Loeffler's user avatar
26 votes
1 answer
1k views

Group with finite outer automorphism group and large center

Does there exist a finitely generated group $G$ with outer automorphism group $\mathrm{Out}(G)$ finite, whose center contains infinitely many elements of order $p$ for some prime $p$? A motivation is ...
YCor's user avatar
  • 63.9k
24 votes
3 answers
4k views

Plus construction considerations.

In order to realise the K-groups of a ring as the homotopy groups of some space associated to that ring, Quillen proposed the following (roughly-sketched) construction: Recall that $K_1(R) = GL(R)/E(...
Joshua Seaton's user avatar
14 votes
1 answer
800 views

Is there a category whose isomorphisms are precisely the simple homotopy equivalences?

If we start with the category of finite complexes and continuous maps, and then identify two morphisms iff they are homotopic, we get the homotopy category of finite complexes, and it is trivial to ...
John Pardon's user avatar
  • 18.7k
10 votes
3 answers
3k views

The localisation long exact sequence in K-theory over an arbitrary base

If I work over a field k,write D for the formal disk k[[t]] and Dx for the formal punctured disk k((t)), then there is an associated long exact sequence in algebraic K-theory ... Kn+1(Dx) --> Kn(k) --...
Peter McNamara's user avatar
19 votes
2 answers
702 views

Besides $F_q$, for which rings $R$ is $K_i(R)$ completely known?

With the exception of finite fields and "trivial examples", which rings $R$ are such that Quillen's algebraic $K$ groups $K_i(R)$ are completely known for all $i\geq 0$? Here, by "trivial examples" ...
user avatar
16 votes
3 answers
797 views

For which rings R is SL_n(R) generated by its n-1 fundamental copies of SL_2(R)?

By "fundamental copies" of $SL_2(R)$ in $SL_n(R)$, I mean those embedded along the diagonal (for instance, if $n=3$, those are the upper left and lower right corner copies of $SL_2(R)$ embedded in $...
Timothée Marquis's user avatar
14 votes
1 answer
3k views

Entering to the K-theory realm

I am looking for a guidance in $K$-theory. My master thesis was in the field of Algebraic K-theory and its relation and interaction with the field of Algebraic Topology. I mainly had concentrated on ...
B.K-Theory's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
1k views

$K$-theory backwards

Let $R$ be a ring. The $K$-theory of $(Mod(R)^{f.g.proj},\oplus)$ is obtained by first throwing out non-isomorphisms and then group completing. What happens if these steps are reversed? That is, ...
Tim Campion's user avatar
  • 63.9k
11 votes
2 answers
864 views

Solving polynomial equations in spectra?

Let $M$ be the mod-$p$ Moore spectrum where $p \geq 3$ is a (power of) a prime. Then $M$ satisfies the "polynomial equation" $M \wedge M \cong M \oplus \Sigma M$. Is this a general ...
Tim Campion's user avatar
  • 63.9k
11 votes
1 answer
846 views

$K_0$ of a non-separated scheme

This question is on "computing" the Grothendieck group of the projective $n$-space with $m$ origins ($m\geq 1$). For any (noetherian) scheme $X$, let $K_0(X)$ be the Grothendieck group of coherent ...
Ariyan Javanpeykar's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
1k views

Quasi-isomorphisms in exact categories

I am trying to understand quasi-isomorphisms in an exact category as defined via the mapping cylinder. I would like to know whether these form a category of weak equivalences in the sense of ...
Tom Harris's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
1k views

Roadmap for Quillen 1

Question Suppose you grasped and enjoyed reading Quillen's "Higher Algebraic K-theory I". Now, if you could go back in time to when you started studying algebraic topology and create a reading list / ...
Quetzalcoatl's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
518 views

When is $GL_m(R)$ generated by elementary and diagonal matrices?

Let $D$ be a division ring and $R=D[t_1,\ldots,t_n]$ the polynomial ring in $n$ variables. Now let $GL_m(R),\,E_m(R)$ be the usual general linear group and its subgroup generated by the elementary ...
Sam Williams's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
342 views

Can the trivial module be stably free for a monoid ring?

Let $M$ be a non-trivial monoid and $\mathbb ZM$ its monoid ring. All modules are left modules in what follows. Suppose that $M$ contains a zero element (or absorbing element) $z$. That is $mz=z=zm$ ...
Benjamin Steinberg's user avatar