Double Steinberg coinvariants for special linear groups

Abstract

For a field $F$ we study the coinvariants for the $SL_n(F)$-action on the double Steinberg module $St_n(F) \otimes St_n(F)$ and show they have a rich algebraic structure: for $n = 2$ it is the Grothendieck-Witt group of $F$, and for all $n$ they assemble to a graded nonunital $\mathbb{Z}[F^\times]$-algebra, whose rational (underived) indecomposables may be expressed in terms of the augmentation ideal of the Grothendieck-Witt group. We then explain, building on work of Galatius-Kupers-Randal-Williams, that the special linear groups $SL_n(F)$ assemble to an $E_\infty$-algebra in a suitable functor category, whose $E_2$-homology groups have a vanishing line of slope 2 and on the critical line are given by the double Steinberg coinvariants.