English

Poincar\'{e}-Birkhoff-Witt Theorems in Higher Algebra

Algebraic Topology 2025-08-15 v2 Category Theory Representation Theory

Abstract

We extend the classical Poincar\'e-Birkhoff-Witt theorem to higher algebra by establishing a version that applies to spectral Lie algebras. We deduce this statement from a basic relation between operads in spectra: the commutative operad is the quotient of the associative operad by a right action of the spectral Lie operad. This statement, in turn, is a consequence of a fundamental relation between different En\mathbb{E}_n-operads, which we articulate and prove. We deduce a variant of the Poincar\'{e}--Birkhoff--Witt theorem for relative enveloping algebras of En\mathbb{E}_n-algebras. Our methods also give a simple construction and description of the higher enveloping En\mathbb{E}_n-algebras of a spectral Lie algebra.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2501.03116,
  title  = {Poincar\'{e}-Birkhoff-Witt Theorems in Higher Algebra},
  author = {Omar Antolín-Camarena and Lukas Brantner and Gijs Heuts},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2501.03116},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

To appear in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. 16 pages

R2 v1 2026-06-28T20:57:42.965Z