A uniqueness theorem for stable homotopy theory
with Stefan Schwede
ABSTRACT.
In this paper we study the global structure of the stable homotopy theory
of spectra.
We establish criteria for when the homotopy theory associated to a given stable
model
category agrees with the classical stable homotopy theory of spectra.
One sufficient condition is that the associated homotopy category is equivalent
to the stable homotopy category as a triangulated category with an
action of the ring of stable homotopy groups of spheres, $\pi^s$.
In other words,
the classical stable homotopy theory, with all of its higher order information,
is
determined by the homotopy category as a triangulated category with
an action of $\pi^s$.
Another sufficient condition is the existence of a small generating object
(corresponding to the sphere spectrum) for which a specific `unit map' from
the infinite loop space $QS^0$ to the endomorphism space is a weak equivalence.