Big categories, big spectra

Abstract

We introduce a new topological invariant of a rigidly-compactly generated tensor-triangulated category and two new notions of support. The first is based on smashing subcategories: it is unknown whether the frame of smashing subcategories is spatial in general, but supposing it is as in the examples we understand, we show it is equipped with a morphism to the Balmer spectrum which detects the failure of the telescope conjecture and we develop the corresponding support theory. The new invariant, the big spectrum, results from taking the entire collection of localizing ideals seriously and considering prime localizing ideals. Although there are, in principle, a proper class of localizing ideals, we are able to prove the existence of at least one big prime lying over every Balmer prime. We conclude with a pair of examples illustrating our constructions.