The chromatic Nullstellensatz

Abstract

We show that Lubin–Tate theories attached to algebraically closed fields are characterized among $T(n)$-local $\mathbb{E}_{\infty}$-rings as those that satisfy an analogue of Hilbert’s Nullstellensatz. Furthermore, we show that for every $T(n)$-local $\mathbb{E}_{\infty}$-ring $R$, the collection of $E_\infty$-ring maps from $R$ to such Lubin–Tate theories jointly detect nilpotence. In particular, we deduce that every non-zero $T(n)$-local $\mathbb{E}_{\infty}$-ring $R$ admits an $E_\infty$-ring map to such a Lubin–Tate theory. As consequences, we construct $\mathbb{E}_{\infty}$ complex orientations of algebraically closed Lubin–Tate theories, compute the strict Picard spectra of such Lubin–Tate theories, and prove redshift for the algebraic $\mathrm{K}$-theory of arbitrary $\mathbb{E}_{\infty}$-rings.

Authors

Robert Burklund

Department of Mathematics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Tomer M. Schlank

Einstein Institute of Mathematics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

Current address:

Department of Mathematics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA Allen Yuan

Department of Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

Current address:

Department of Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA