From simplicial homotopy to crossed module homotopy in modified categories of interest (Q2662064)

Categories of interest were introduced to unify definitions and properties of different algebraic categories and different algebras. In this context the groups with multiple operators have been defined by \textit{P. J. Higgins} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 6, 366--416 (1956; Zbl 0073.01704)] and then generalized categories of interest were introduced by \textit{G. Orzech} [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 2, 287--314 (1972; Zbl 0251.18016); ibid. 2, 315--340 (1972; Zbl 0251.18017)]. Categories of groups, Lie algebras, Leibniz algebras, associative (commutative) algebras, dialgebras and many others are basic examples of categories of interest. However the categories of cat\(^1\)-objects of such algebraic structures are not categories of interest. The axioms of categories of interest were modifed in [\textit{Y. Boyaci} et al., Theory Appl. Categ. 30, 882--908 (2015; Zbl 1318.18001)] and the new modified categories were called {\em modified categories of interest} and denoted by MCI. From the definition every category of interest is a modified category of interest. \(\text{Cat}^1\)-Lie (Leibniz, associative, commutative) algebras and many others or crossed modules of these algebras are all MCI. In this paper the authors define the (pointed) homotopy of crossed module morphisms in modified categories of interest; and prove that the homotopy relation gives rise to an equivalence relation and to a groupoid structure without the restriction on domain and co-domain of the corresponding crossed module morphism.