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We extend the theory of Thom spectra and the associated obstruction theory for orientations in order to support the construction of the string orientation of tmf, the spectrum of topological modular forms. We also develop the analogous theory of Thom spectra and orientations for associative ring spectra. Our work is based on a new model of the Thom spectrum as a derived smash product. An earlier version of this paper was part of arXiv:0810.4535., Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:0810.4535

We develop a generalization of the theory of Thom spectra using the language of infinity categories. This treatment exposes the conceptual underpinnings of the Thom spectrum functor: we use a new model of parametrized spectra, and our definition is motivated by the geometric definition of Thom spectra of May-Sigurdsson. For an associative ring spectrum $R$, we associate a Thom spectrum to a map of infinity categories from the infinity groupoid of a space $X$ to the infinity category of free rank one $R$-modules, which we show is a model for $BGL_1 R$; we show that $BGL_1 R$ classifies homotopy sheaves of rank one $R$-modules, which we call $R$-line bundles. We use our $R$-module Thom spectrum to define the twisted $R$-homology and cohomology of an $R$-line bundle over a space $X$, classified by a map from $X$ to $BGL_1 R$, and we recover the generalized theory of orientations in this context. In order to compare this approach to the classical theory, we characterize the Thom spectrum functor axiomatically, from the perspective of Morita theory. An earlier version of this paper was part of arXiv:0810.4535., Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:0810.4535

We introduce a general theory of parametrized objects in the setting of infinity categories. Although spaces and spectra parametrized over spaces are the most familiar examples, we establish our theory in the generality of objects of a presentable infinity category parametrized over objects of an infinity topos. We obtain a coherent functor formalism describing the relationship of the various adjoint functors associated to base-change and symmetric monoidal structures. Our main applications are to the study of generalized Thom spectra. We obtain fiberwise constructions of twisted Umkehr maps for twisted generalized cohomology theories using a geometric fiberwise construction of Atiyah duality. In order to characterize the algebraic structures on generalized Thom spectra and twisted (co)homology, we characterize the generalized Thom spectrum as a categorification of the well-known adjunction between units and group rings., Comment: Submission draft. Various changes, including rewrite in terms of infinity topoi and corrected discussion of functoriality of Atiyah duality

We explore an approach to twisted generalized cohomology from the point of view of stable homotopy theory and quasicategory theory provided by arXiv:0810.4535. We explain the relationship to the twisted K-theory provided by Fredholm bundles. We show how our approach allows us to twist elliptic cohomology by degree four classes, and more generally by maps to the four-stage Postnikov system BO<0...4>. We also discuss Poincare duality and umkehr maps in this setting.

We review and extend the theory of Thom spectra and the associated obstruction theory for orientations. We recall (from May, Quinn, and Ray) that a commutative ring spectrum A has a spectrum of units gl(A). To a map of spectra f: b -> bgl(A), we associate a commutative A-algebra Thom spectrum Mf, which admits a commutative A-algebra map to R if and only if b -> bgl(A) -> bgl(R) is null. If A is an associative ring spectrum, then to a map of spaces f: B -> BGL(A) we associate an A-module Thom spectrum Mf, which admits an R-orientation if and only if B -> BGL(A) -> BGL(R) is null. We also note that BGL(A) classifies the twists of A-theory. We develop and compare two approaches to the theory of Thom spectra. The first involves a rigidified model of A-infinity and E-infinity spaces. Our second approach is via infinity categories. In order to compare these approaches to one another and to the classical theory, we characterize the Thom spectrum functor from the perspective of Morita theory., Comment: Various corrections and minor emendations, notably to Section 5

The circle-equivariant spectrum MString_C is the equivariant analogue of the cobordism spectrum MU<6> of stably almost complex manifolds with c_1=c_2=0. Given a rational elliptic curve C, the second author has defined a ring T-spectrum EC representing the associated T-equivariant elliptic cohomology. The core of the present paper is the construction, when C is a complex elliptic curve, of a map of ring T-spectra MString_C --> EC which is the rational equivariant analogue of the sigma orientation of Ando-Hopkins-Strickland. We support this by a theory of characteristic classes for calculation, and a conceptual description in terms of algebraic geometry. In particular, we prove a conjecture of the first author., Comment: The new version includes further notational improvements. The main results and methods of proof are unchanged. No further changes are expected

We explain the relationship between the sigma orientation and Witten genus on the one hand and the two-variable elliptic genus on the other. We show that if E is an elliptic spectrum, then the Theorem of the Cube implies the existence of canonical SU-orientation of the associated spectrum of Jacobi forms. In the case of the elliptic spectrum associated to the Tate curve, this gives the two-variable elliptic genus. We also show that the two-variable genus arises as an instance of the circle-equivariant sigma orientation., Comment: Revised to better exhibit complex orientation of MSU^(CP^\infty_{-infty})

The first purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between equivariant elliptic genera and orbifold elliptic genera. We apply the character theory of Hopkins et. al. to the Borel-equivariant genus associated to the sigma orientation of Ando-Hopkins-Strickland to define an orbifold genus for certain total quotient orbifolds and supersingular elliptic curves. We show that our orbifold genus is given by the same sort of formula as the orbifold ``two-variable'' genus of Dijkgraaf et al. In the case of a finite cyclic orbifold group, we use the characteristic series for the two-variable genus to define an analytic equivariant genus in Grojnowski's equivariant elliptic cohomology, and we show that this gives precisely the orbifold two-variable genus. The second purpose of this paper is to study the effect of varying the BU<6>-structure in the Borel-equivariant sigma orientation. We show that varying the BU<6>-structure by a class in the third cohomology of the orbifold group produces discrete torsion in the sense of Vafa. This result was first obtained by Sharpe, for a different orbifold genus and using different methods.

In "Elliptic spectra, the Witten genus, and the Theorem of the cube" (Invent. Math. 146 (2001)), the authors constructed a natural map from the Thom spectrum MU<6> to any elliptic spectrum, called the "sigma orientation". MU<6> is an H-infinity ring spectrum, and in this paper we show that if E is a K(2)-local H-infinity elliptic spectrum, then the sigma orientation is a map of H-infinity spectra.

We construct a canonical Thom isomorphism in Grojnowski's equivariant elliptic cohomology, for virtual T-oriented T-equivariant spin bundles with vanishing Borel-equivariant second Chern class, which is natural under pull-back of vector bundles and exponential under Whitney sum. It extends in the complex-analytic case the non-equivariant sigma orientation of Hopkins, Strickland, and the author. The construction relates the sigma orientation to the representation theory of loop groups and Looijenga's weighted projective space, and sheds light even on the non-equivariant case. Rigidity theorems of Witten-Bott-Taubes including generalizations by Kefeng Liu follow., Comment: Published in Geometry and Topology at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/gt/GTVol7/paper3.abs.html

Let E be a circle-equivariant complex-orientable cohomology theory. We show that the fixed-point formula applied to the free loopspace of a manifold X can be understood as a Riemann-Roch formula for the quotient of the formal group of E by a free cyclic subgroup. The quotient is not representable, but (locally at p) its p-torsion subgroup is, by a p-divisible group of height one greater than the formal group of E., Comment: to appear in Contemporary Math. [The Milgram Festschrift, ed. A. Adem, R. Cohen, G. Carlsson]

We construct a Thom class in complex equivariant elliptic cohomology extending the equivariant Witten genus. This gives a new proof of the rigidity of the Witten genus, which exhibits a close relationship to recent work on non-equivariant orientations of elliptic spectra., Comment: 22 pages. Added section on example of virtual bundles over a point

We construct splittings of some completions of the Z/(p)-Tate cohomology of E(n) and some related spectra. In particular, we split (a completion of) tE(n) as a (completion of) a wedge of E(n-1)'s as a spectrum, where t is shorthand for the fixed points of the Z/(p)-Tate cohomology spectrum (ie Mahowald's inverse limit of P_{-k} smash SE(n)). We also give a multiplicative splitting of tE(n) after a suitable base extension., Comment: 30 pages. Published copy, also available at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/gt/GTVol2/paper8.abs.html