In algebraic topology, the nilpotence theorem gives a condition for an element in the homotopy groups of a ring spectrum to be nilpotent, in terms of the complex cobordism spectrum M U {\displaystyle \mathrm {MU} } . More precisely, it states that for any ring spectrum R {\textstyle R} , the kernel of the map π ∗ R → M U ∗ ( R ) {\textstyle \pi _{\ast }R\to \mathrm {MU} _{\ast }(R)} consists of nilpotent elements. It was conjectured by Douglas Ravenel (1984) and proved by Ethan S. Devinatz, Michael J. Hopkins, and Jeffrey H. Smith (1988).
Nishida's theorem Goro Nishida (1973) showed that elements of positive degree of the homotopy groups of spheres are nilpotent. This is a special case of the nilpotence theorem.
See also Ravenel's conjectures
References
Devinatz, Ethan S.; Hopkins, Michael J.; Smith, Jeffrey H. (1988), "Nilpotence and stable homotopy theory. I", Annals of Mathematics, Second Series, 128 (2): 207–241, doi:10.2307/1971440, JSTOR 1971440, MR 0960945 Nishida, Goro (1973), "The nilpotency of elements of the stable homotopy groups of spheres", Journal of the Mathematical Society of Japan, 25 (4): 707–732, doi:10.2969/jmsj/02540707, hdl:2433/220059, MR 0341485. Ravenel, Douglas C. (1984), "Localization with respect to certain periodic homology theories", American Journal of Mathematics, 106 (2): 351–414, doi:10.2307/2374308, ISSN 0002-9327, JSTOR 2374308, MR 0737778 Open online version. Ravenel, Douglas C. (1992), Nilpotence and periodicity in stable homotopy theory, Annals of Mathematics Studies, vol. 128, Princeton University Press, ISBN 978-0-691-02572-8, MR 1192553
Further reading Connection of X(n) spectra to formal group laws