The theory
K(0) agrees with
singular homology with rational coefficients, whereas
K(1) is a summand of mod-
p complex K-theory. The theory
K(
n) has coefficient ring :
Fp[
vn,
vn−1] where
vn has degree 2(
pn − 1). In particular, Morava K-theory is periodic with this period, in much the same way that complex K-theory has period 2. These theories have several remarkable properties. • They have
Künneth isomorphisms for arbitrary pairs of spaces: that is, for
X and
Y CW complexes, we have :K(n)_*(X \times Y) \cong K(n)_*(X) \otimes_{K(n)_*} K(n)_*(Y). • They are "fields" in the
category of
ring spectra. In other words every
module spectrum over
K(
n) is free, i.e. a
wedge of
suspensions of
K(
n). • They are
complex oriented (at least after being periodified by taking the wedge sum of (
pn − 1) shifted copies), and the
formal group they define has
height n. • Every finite
p-local
spectrum X has the property that
K(
n)∗(
X) = 0 if and only if
n is less than a certain number
N, called the
type of the spectrum
X. By a theorem of Devinatz–
Hopkins–Smith, every
thick subcategory of the
category of finite
p-local spectra is the subcategory of type-
n spectra for some
n. == See also ==