Generalized String Topology and Derived Koszul Duality

Abstract

The generalized string topology construction of Gruher and Salvatore assigns to any bundle of $E_n$-algebras $A$ over a closed oriented manifold $M$ a collection of intersection-type operations on the homology of the total space. These operations are realized by an $H_n$-ring structure on the Thom spectrum $A^{-TM}$ under the Thom isomorphism. We rigidify and extend this construction to a functor connecting the homotopy theory of spaces and spectra parametrized by $M$ to the homotopy theory of module spectra over the Atiyah-Milnor-Spanier-Whitehead dual $M^{-TM} \simeq \bbD M$. Then, using an $\infty$-categorical version of Morita theory, we give an alternative description of our construction in terms of the derived Koszul duality (alias bar-cobar duality) between $\Sigma^\infty_+ \Omega M$ and $\bbD M$.