Cosimplicial Objects and little n-cubes. I

Abstract

In this paper we show that if a cosimplicial space or spectrum $X^\bullet$ has a certain kind of combinatorial structure (we call it a $\Xi^n$-structure) then the total space of $X^\b$ has an action of a certain operad which is weakly equivalent to the little n-cubes operad. The $n\leq 2$ case was proved by a more complicated argument in our earlier paper A Solution of Deligne's Hochschild Cohomology Conjecture (http://front.math.ucdavis.edu/math.QA/9910126). In the special case $n=\infty$, we define a symmetric monoidal structure $\boxtimes$ on cosimplicial spaces and show that if $X^\b$ is a commutative $\boxtimes$-monoid then the total space of $\X^\b$ is an $E_\infty$ space.