Patch-density in tensor-triangular geometry

Abstract: The spectrum of a tensor-triangulated category carries a compact Hausdorff topology, called the constructible topology, also known as the patch topology. We prove that patch-dense subsets detect tt-ideals and we prove that any infinite family of tt-functors that detects nilpotence provides such a patch-dense subset. We review several applications and examples in algebra, in topology and in the representation theory of profinite groups.