2-Segal objects and algebras in spans (Q2038108): Difference between revisions

This paper is concerned with consideration on the relation between \(2\)-Segal objects in an \(\infty\)-category \(\mathcal{C}\) and algebra objects in an \(\infty\)-category \(\mathrm{Span}\left(\mathcal{C}\right)\) whose morphisms are spans in \(\mathcal{C}\). Precursors in this direction were \textit{T. Dyckerhoff} and \textit{M. Kapranov} [Higher Segal spaces. Cham: Springer (2019; Zbl 1459.18001)], who constructed monads and algebra objects in \(\left(\infty,2\right)\)-categories of spans from \(2\)-Segal objects, and \textit{M. D. Penney} [``Simplicial spaces, lax algebras and the 2-Segal condition'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1710.02742}], who defined lax algebras in spans coming from simplicial objects, demonstrating that the associativity of these lax algebras was equivalent to the \(2\)-Segal condition. Restricting to \(\infty\)-categories of spans, the former half of this paper establishes Theorem 2.25. Let \(\mathcal{C}\) be an \(\infty\)-category with small limits. There is an equivalence between \(\infty\)-categories \[ \left\{ \begin{array} [c]{c} \text{Algebra objects }\\ \text{in }\mathrm{Span}\left( \mathcal{C}\right) \end{array} \right\} \simeq\left\{ \begin{array} [c]{c} 2\text{-Segal simplicial objects}\\ \text{in }\mathcal{C} \end{array} \right\} \] \textit{T. Dyckerhoff} and \textit{M. Kapranov} [Contemp. Math. 643, 37--110 (2015; Zbl 1373.18015), \S V.2] constructed invariants \(X\left(S,M\right)\) of stable marked surface \(\left(S,M\right)\) with boundary, associated to a \(2\)-Segal cyclic object \(X:\Lambda^{\mathrm{op}}\rightarrow\mathcal{C}\). On top of that, the \(X\left(S,M\right)\) comes equipped with coherent actions of the mapping class group. It is consequently natural to ask whether the invariants \(X\left(S,M\right)\) form an open, oriented, \(\infty\)-categorical topological field theory in \(\mathrm{Span}\left(\mathcal{C}\right)\). \textit{K. Costello} [Adv. Math. 210, No. 1, 165--214 (2007; Zbl 1171.14038)] considered open oriented theories equipped with a set of D-branes and valued in the dg-category of chain complexes, showing that such field theories are equivalent to Calabi-Yau \(\mathcal{A}_{\infty}\) categories. A similar classification was that of Lurie. Theorem 4.2.11. [\textit{J. Lurie}, in: Current developments in mathematics, 2008. Somerville, MA: International Press. 129--280 (2009; Zbl 1180.81122)]. Let \(\mathcal{C}\) be a symmetric monoidal \(\infty\)-category. The following types of data are equivalent: \begin{itemize} \item[1.] Open oriented topological field theories in \(\mathcal{C}\). \item[2.] Calabi-Yau algebra objects in \(\mathcal{C}\). \end{itemize} Based on this theorem, the latter half of this paper seeks to relate cyclic \(2\)-Segal objects to Calabi-Yau algebras, demonstrating that Theorem 3.29. Let \(\mathcal{C}\) be an \(\infty\)-category with small limits. There is an equivalence between \(\infty\)-categories \[ \left\{ \begin{array} [c]{c} \text{Calabi-Yau Algebra objects }\\ \text{in }\mathrm{Span}\left( \mathcal{C}\right) \end{array} \right\} \simeq\left\{ \begin{array} [c]{c} 2\text{-Segal cyclic objects}\\ \text{in }\mathcal{C} \end{array} \right\} \] Once the correspondence in Theorem 3.29 is established, a wealth of avenues to construct topological field theories open up. \begin{itemize} \item The Waldhausen S-construction gives rise to many cyclic \(2\)-Segal spaces [\textit{T. Dyckerhoff} and \textit{M. Kapranov}, J. Eur. Math. Soc. (JEMS) 20, No. 6, 1473--1524 (2018; Zbl 1403.18011)]. \item \(1\)-Segal cyclic objects provide a zoo of interesting examples. \item An intriguing incarnation of the cyclic Čech nerve construction is its application to a morphism \(f:\ast\rightarrow X\) into a connected space \(X\), where the Čech nerve has the loop space \(\Omega X\) based at \ as its space of \(1\)-simplices, and the author expects the resulting surface invariants to relate to string topology. \end{itemize} Theorem 2.25 and Theorem 3.29 bear an intriguing relation to another construction in the literature. Following [\textit{D.-C. Cisinski} and \textit{I. Moerdijk}, J. Topol. 6, No. 3, 675--704 (2013; Zbl 1291.55004)], \textit{T. Walde} [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 21, No. 1, 211--246 (2021; Zbl 1469.18031)] defined a notion of a cyclic \(\infty\)-operad, showing that there are equivalences of \(\infty\)-categories \[ \left\{ \begin{array} [c]{c} \text{invertible cyclic }\\ \infty\text{-operads} \end{array} \right\} \simeq\left\{ \begin{array} [c]{c} 2\text{-Segal cyclic objects}\\ \text{in }\mathcal{S} \end{array} \right\} \] and \[ \left\{ \begin{array} [c]{c} \text{invertible}\\ \infty\text{-operads} \end{array} \right\} \simeq\left\{ \begin{array} [c]{c} 2\text{-Segal simplicial objects}\\ \text{in }\mathcal{S} \end{array} \right\} \] which now has the immediate implications of relating invertible (cyclic) \(\infty\)-operads to (Calabi-Yau) algebras in \(\mathrm{Span}\left(\mathcal{S}\right)\).