Norms in motivic homotopy theory

If $f : S' \to S$ is a finite locally free morphism of schemes, we construct a symmetric monoidal "norm" functor $f_\otimes : \mathcal{H}_{\bullet}(S')\to \mathcal{H}_{\bullet}(S)$, where $\mathcal{H}_\bullet(S)$ is the pointed unstable motivic homotopy category over $S$. If $f$ is finite étale, we show that it stabilizes to a functor $f_\otimes : \mathcal{S}\mathcal{H}(S') \to \mathcal{S}\mathcal{H}(S)$, where $\mathcal{S}\mathcal{H}(S)$ is the $\mathbb{P}^1$-stable motivic homotopy category over $S$. Using these norm functors, we define the notion of a normed motivic spectrum, which is an enhancement of a motivic $E_\infty$-ring spectrum. The main content of this text is a detailed study of the norm functors and of normed motivic spectra, and the construction of examples. In particular: we investigate the interaction of norms with Grothendieck's Galois theory, with Betti realization, and with Voevodsky's slice filtration; we prove that the norm functors categorify Rost's multiplicative transfers on Grothendieck-Witt rings; and we construct normed spectrum structures on the motivic cohomology spectrum $H\mathbb{Z}$, the homotopy $K$-theory spectrum $KGL$, and the algebraic cobordism spectrum $MGL$. The normed spectrum structure on $H\mathbb{Z}$ is a common refinement of Fulton and MacPherson's mutliplicative transfers on Chow groups and of Voevodsky's power operations in motivic cohomology.

Motives over S

This chapter shows that the operation φ‎ 𝑉 of the definition introduced in the previous chapter extends to a cohomology operation over 𝑘, and that it satisfies the recognition criterion of a theorem, so that φ‎ 𝑉 must be β‎𝑃𝑏. This construction of the cohomology operation utilizes the machinery of motives over a simplicial noetherian scheme. The chapter first presents this scheme in three parts, initially summarizing the basic theory of motives over a scheme 𝑆 before discussing motives over a simplicial scheme and over a smooth simplicial scheme. It then presents the slice filtration and generalizes from simplicial scheme 𝔛 to embedded schemes. Finally, this chapter defines the operations φ‎ 𝑖 and φ‎ 𝑉.

On the Functoriality of the Slice Filtration

Let k be a field with resolution of singularities, and X a separated k-scheme of finite type with structure map g. We show that the slice filtration in the motivic stable homotopy category commutes with pullback along g. Restricting the field further to the case of characteristic zero, we are able to compute the slices of Weibel's homotopy invariant K-theory [24] extending the result of Levine [10], and also the zero slice of the sphere spectrum extending the result of Levine [10] and Voevodsky [23]. We also show that the zero slice of the sphere spectrum is a strict cofibrant ring spectrum HZXsf which is stable under pullback and that all the slices have a canonical structure of strict modules over HZXsf. If we consider rational coefficients and assume that X is geometrically unibranch then relying on the work of Cisinski and Déglise [4], we deduce that the zero slice of the sphere spectrum is given by Voevodsky's rational motivic cohomology spectrum HZX ⊗ ℚ and that the slices have transfers. This proves several conjectures of Voevodsky [22, conjectures 1, 7, 10, 11] in characteristic zero.

Motives of Azumaya algebras

We study the slice filtration for the K-theory of a sheaf of Azumaya algebras A, and for the motive of a Severi-Brauer variety, the latter in the case of a central simple algebra of prime degree over a field. Using the Beilinson–Lichtenbaum conjecture, we apply our results to show the vanishing of SK2(A) for a central simple algebra A of square-free index (prime to the characteristic). This proves a conjecture of Merkurjev.