Simplicial commutative algebras with vanishing Andre-Quillen homology

Abstract

In this paper, we study the André-Quillen homology of simplicial commutative $\ell$-algebras, $\ell$ a field, having certain vanishing properties. When $\ell$ has non-zero characteristic, we obtain an algebraic version of a theorem of J.-P. Serre and Y. Umeda that characterizes such simplicial algebras having bounded homotopy groups. We further discuss how this theorem fails in the rational case and, as an application, indicate how the algebraic Serre theorem can be used to resolve a conjecture of D. Quillen for algebras of finite type over Noetherian rings, which have non-zero characteristic.