Generalized cohomology theories for algebraic stacks

Abstract

We extend the stable motivic homotopy category of Voevodsky to the class of scalloped algebraic stacks, and show that it admits the formalism of Grothendieck's six operations. Objects in this category represent generalized cohomology theories for stacks like algebraic K-theory, as well as new examples like genuine motivic cohomology and algebraic cobordism. These cohomology theories admit Gysin maps and satisfy homotopy invariance, localization, and Mayer–Vietoris. For example, we deduce that homotopy K-theory satisfies cdh descent on scalloped stacks. We also prove a fixed point localization formula for torus actions.

Finally, the construction is contrasted with a “lisse-extended” stable motivic homotopy category, defined for arbitrary stacks: we show for example that lisse-extended motivic cohomology of quotient stacks is computed by the equivariant higher Chow groups of Edidin–Graham, and we also get a good new theory of Borel-equivariant algebraic cobordism. Moreover, the lisse-extended motivic homotopy type is shown to recover all previous constructions of motives of stacks.