Semi-prorepresentability of formal moduli problems and equivariant structures

Abstract

We generalize the notion of semi-universality in the classical deformation problems to the context of derived deformation theories. A criterion for a formal moduli problem to be semi-prorepresentable is produced. This can be seen as an analogue of Schlessinger's conditions for a functor of Artinian rings to have a semi-universal element. We also give a sufficient condition for a semi-prorepresentable formal moduli problem to admit a $G$-equivariant structure in a sense specified below, where $G$ is a linearly reductive group. Finally, by making use of these criteria, we derive many classical results including the existence of ($G$-equivariant) formal semi-universal deformations of algebraic schemes and that of complex compact manifolds.