Three models for the homotopy theory of homotopy theories (Q884326): Difference between revisions

It was proved in [\textit{W. G. Dwyer} and \textit{D. M. Kan}, Topology 19, 427--440 (1980; Zbl 0438.55011)] that two Quillen equivalent model categories \(\mathcal{C}\) and \(\mathcal{D}\) give rise to two simplicial localizations \(\mathcal{LC}\) and \(\mathcal{LD}\) which are DK-equivalent. Since these simplicial localizations capture the higher dimensional homotopical structures, the category of simplicial categories \(\mathcal{SC}\) up to DK-equivalences can be viewed as a homotopy theory of homotopy theories. In fact, there exists a model structure on the category of simplicial categories such that the weak equivalences are the DK-equivalences [\textit{J. E. Bergner}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 359, No. 5, 2043--2058 (2007; Zbl 1114.18006)]. This model structure can be considered as a model for the homotopy theory of homotopy theories. Another model for the homotopy theory of homotopy theories is proposed by \textit{C. Rezk} in [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 353, No. 3, 973--1007 (2001; Zbl 0961.18008)] by considering the category of complete Segal spaces \(\mathcal{CSS}\). Roughly speaking, a complete Segal space is a kind of weak simplicial category and \textit{C. Rezk} constructs a functor from \(\mathcal{SC}\) to \(\mathcal{CSS}\). In this paper, the author completes the work of \textit{C. Rezk} by showing that \(\mathcal{SC}\) and \(\mathcal{CSS}\) have equivalent homotopy theories. She proves this result by introducing the full subcategory \(\mathcal{S}e\mathcal{C}at\) of simplicial spaces whose objects are simplicial spaces with a discrete simplicial set in degree zero. Then she introduces two model structures \(\mathcal{S}e\mathcal{C}at_c\) and \(\mathcal{S}e\mathcal{C}at_f\), each with the same class of weak equivalences. The first one has the levelwise cofibrations of simplicial spaces as cofibrations. Then she uses these model categories to produce a chain of Quillen equivalences \(\mathcal{SC} \leftrightarrows \mathcal{S}e\mathcal{C}at_f \leftrightarrows \mathcal{S}e\mathcal{C}at_c \leftrightarrows \mathcal{CSS}\).