English

Topological modular forms with level structure

Algebraic Topology 2015-02-05 v2 Number Theory

Abstract

The cohomology theory known as Tmf, for "topological modular forms," is a universal object mapping out to elliptic cohomology theories, and its coefficient ring is closely connected to the classical ring of modular forms. We extend this to a functorial family of objects corresponding to elliptic curves with level structure and modular forms on them. Along the way, we produce a natural way to restrict to the cusps, providing multiplicative maps from Tmf with level structure to forms of K-theory. In particular, this allows us to construct a connective spectrum tmf_0(3) consistent with properties suggested by Mahowald and Rezk. This is accomplished using the machinery of logarithmic structures. We construct a sheaf of locally even-periodic elliptic cohomology theories, equipped with highly structured multiplication, on the log-\'etale site of the moduli of elliptic curves. Evaluating this sheaf on modular curves produces Tmf with level structure.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1312.7394,
  title  = {Topological modular forms with level structure},
  author = {Michael Hill and Tyler Lawson},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1312.7394},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

53 pages. Heavily revised, including the addition of a new section on background tools from homotopy theory

R2 v1 2026-06-22T02:36:04.550Z