An algebraic filtration of H*(MO;ℤ2)

Abstract

Let 2* denote the dual of the mod two Steenrod algebra. In [5] an algebraic filtration B*(n) of H*(BO; ℤ2) was constructed such that each B*(n) is a bipolynomial sub Hopf algebra and sub 2*-comodule of H*(BO; ℤ2). In Lemma 3.1 we prove that the Thom isomorphism determines a corresponding filtration of H*(MO;ℤ2) by polynomial subalgebras and sub 2*-comodules M*(n). Let (n) denote the subalgebra of 2 generated by Sq2k, 0 ≦ k < n, and let *(n) be its dual, a quotient Hopf algebra of 2*. In Section 3 we construct a polynomial algebra and *(n)-comodule R(n) such that M*(n)≃2*□*(n)R(n) as algebras and 2*-comodules. Here □ denotes the cotensor product defined in [9, §2]. Dually it will follow that M*(n) has a sub (n)-module and subcoalgebra T(n) such that M*(n)≃2⊗n)T(n) as coalgebras and 2-modules. We also show that M*(n) can not be realised as the homology of a spectrum for n≧4. Of course M*(0)=H*(MO;ℤ2), M*(1)=H*(MSO;ℤ2), M*(2)=H* (MSpin;ℤ2) and M*(3)=H*(MO<8>;ℤ2). Moreover, it follows from [4; Thm. 2.10, Cor. 2.11] that M*(n)=Images[H*(MO<ϕ(n)>;ℤ2)→H*(MO;ℤ2)] and M*(n) ≃ Image [H*(MO;ℤ2)→ H*(MO<ϕ(n)>;ℤ2)]. Here MO<k> id the Thom spectrum of BO<k>, the (k−1)-connected covering of BO, and ϕ(n)=8s + 2t where n = 4s + t, 0≦t≦3. In Section 4 we sketch the odd primary analogue—a filtration pM*(n) of H*(MUp, 0;ℤp) for p an odd prime. MUp, 0 is the Thom spectrum of the (2p-3)-connected factor of the Adams splitting [2] of BU(p).