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Cornell University

Constructing K-theory spectra from algebraic structures with a class of acyclic objects

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

This thesis studies different ways to construct categories admitting an algebraic K-theory spectrum, focusing on categories that contain some flavor of underlying algebraic structure as well as relevant homotopical information. In Part I, published as [20], we show that under certain technical conditions, a cotorsion pair (C,C\bot) in an exact category E, together with a subcategory $Z\subseteq E$ containing C\bot, determines a Waldhausen structure on C in which Z is the class of acyclic objects. This yields a new version of Quillen's Localization Theorem, relating the K-theory of exact categories $A\subseteq B$ to that of a cofiber. The novel approach is that, instead of looking for an exact quotient category that serves as the cofiber, we produce a Waldhausen category, constructed through a cotorsion pair. Notably, A need not be a Serre subcategory, which results in new examples. In Part II, joint work with Brandon Shapiro, we upgrade the K-theory of (A)CGW categories due to Campbell and Zakharevich by defining a new type of structures, called FCGWA categories, that incorporate the data of weak equivalences. FCGWA categories admit an S\bullet-construction in the spirit of Waldhausen's, which produces a K-theory spectrum, and satisfies analogues of the Additivity and Fibration Theorems. Weak equivalences are determined by choosing a subcategory of acyclic objects satisfying minimal conditions, which results in a Localization Theorem that generalizes previous versions in the literature. Our main example is chain complexes of sets with quasi-isomorphisms; these satisfy a Gillet--Waldhausen Theorem, yielding an equivalent presentation of the K-theory of finite sets.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph. D., Mathematics
Level thesis:degree_level
Doctor of Philosophy
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Mathematics
Grantor
Cornell University
Year dc:date.issued
2021

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Sarazola, Maru
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Aguiar, Marcelo
  • Holm, Tara

Subjects

dc:subject × 6

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • Attribution 4.0 International
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
ProQuest Submission ID: 12461
ProQuest Publication ID: 28416703
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:ecommons.cornell.edu:1813/109797

Chain of custody

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Base URL
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Last updated
2026-07-24
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citation

Sarazola, Maru. Constructing K-theory spectra from algebraic structures with a class of acyclic objects. Doctor of Philosophy thesis, Cornell University, 2021. https://hdl.handle.net/1813/109797