Symmetric Powers and Norms of Mackey Functors

Abstract

In this paper we give detailed algebraic descriptions of the derived symmetric power and norm constructions on categories of Mackey functors, as well as the derived G-symmetric monoidal structure. We build on the results of [Ull2], in which it is shown that every Tambara functor over a finite group G arises as the zeroth stable homotopy group of a commutative ring G-spectrum. The norm / restriction adjunctions on categories of Tambara functors promised in [Ull2] are demonstrated algebraically. Finally, we give a new characterization of Tambara functors in terms of multiplicative push forwards of Mackey functors, and use this to obtain an appealing new description of the free Tambara functor on a Mackey functor which closely matches the structure of equivariant extended powers.