The Conner-Floyd Map for Formal A-Modules

Abstract

A generalization of the Conner-Floyd map from complex cobordism to complex /C-theory is constructed for formal A-modules when A is the ring of algebraic integers in a number field or its p-adic completion. This map is employed to study the Adams-Novikov spectral sequence for formal A-modules and to confirm a conjecture of D. Ravenel. 0. Introduction. Let BP be the spectrum representing Brown-Peterson cohomology with respect to a prime p and let E be the Adams summand of complex if-theory with respect to this prime. The BP version of the Conner-Floyd map is a map of spectra BP —+ E which induces a natural equivalence BP, X ®Bp. E» ~ E.X. In particular this induces an isomorphism £* ®Bp. BP»BP®bp.£. ~ E.E and so provides a way of computing the Hopf algebra of stable co-operations for E from those for BP. Using this one can obtain a description of E*E similar to that for K*K contained in [AHS]. The study of BP and the computation of BP* BP are based on a study of formal group law, in particular the p-typical formal group law. In [Rl] Ravenel studied a generalization of this situation where the formal group law is replaced by a formal yl-module where A is the ring of integers in an algebraic number field K or its p-adic completion. The purpose of the present paper is to describe the corresponding generalization of the map (BP», BP* BP) —► (E*,E*E) induced by the Conner-Floyd map, and to compute the generalization of E*E. This is of interest because it provides some information about a conjecture (3.10) made in [Rl]. This conjecture concerned the value of a certain Ext group Exty,t(Va, Va) when K is an extension of the field Qp of p-adic numbers. Here (Va, VaT) is the Hopf algebroid corresponding to the A-typical formal A module. This group was conjectured to be, up to small factor, A/J^,^. Here J^iq_1 is the ideal of A generated by the elements of the form aTM — 1 for units a of A congruent to 1 mod(7r) and (it) is the unique prime ideal in A. We will show, using the generalization of the Conner-Floyd map, that A/J*,^ occurs as E\' in the chromatic spectra sequence for formal ^-modules [Rl, Lemma 2.10] and that the small factor in the conjecture is contributed by the nontriviality of the differential d originating from this group. We will analyze this differential and show that it is nonzero for A Received by the editors June 27, 1986. 1980 Mathematics Subject Classification (1985 Revision). Primary 55T25; Secondary 55N22, 14L05. ©1987 American Mathematical Society 0002-9947/87 SI.00 + $.25 per page 319 License or copyright restrictions may apply to redistribution; see http://www.ams.org/journal-terms-of-use