Steenrod operations and A-module extensions

Abstract

Explicit extensions representing cocycles $x \in Ext_{A}^{s,t}(F_2,F_2)$ are useful in calculating Steenrod operations $Sq^i : Ext_{A}^{s,t}(F_2,F_2) \longrightarrow Ext_{A}^{s+i,2t}(F_2,F_2)$ by a method devised by the second author. This can be used to identify explicit cocycles in the minimal resolutions produced by the first author's computer programs, and this information is useful in determining differentials in the Adams spectral sequence.