On \(\infty\)-cosmoi of bicategories (Q2105778)

\textit{R. Street} [Lect. Notes Math. 420, 134--180 (1974; Zbl 0325.18005)] introduced the notion of an \textit{elementary cosmos}, axiomatizing the \(2\)-categorical universe in which categories live as objects. This inspired \textit{E. Riehl} and \textit{D. Verity} [Elements of \(\infty\)-category theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2022; Zbl 1492.18001)] to develop a corresponding notion of an \(\infty\)\textit{-cosmos}, axiomatizing the \((\infty,2)\)-categorical universe in which \((\infty,1)\)-categories live as objects. The axioms of an \(\infty\)-cosmos are deliberately minimal, so that besides the expected examples there are a variety of exotic examples of \(\infty\)-cosmoi. In particular, several models of \((\infty,2)\)-categories or even \((\infty,n)\)-categories give rise to \(\infty\)-cosmoi [loc. cit., \S E.3], including Ara's \(n\)-quasi-categories [\textit{D. Ara}, J. \(K\)-Theory 14, No. 3, 701--749 (2014; Zbl 1322.18002)], Rezk's \(\Theta_{n}\)-spaces [\textit{C. Rezk}, Geom. Topol. 14, No. 1, 521--571 (2010; Zbl 1203.18015); Geom. Topol. 14, No. 4, 2301--2304 (2010; Zbl 1203.18016)], Barwick's \(n\)-fold complete Segal spaces [\url{https://repository.upenn.edu/dissertations/AAI3165639/}] and Verity's \(n\)-complicial sets [\textit{D. R. B. Verity}, Adv. Math. 219, No. 4, 1081--1149 (2008; Zbl 1158.18007); Contemp. Math. 431, 441--467 (2007; Zbl 1137.18005)]. This paper explores a few atypical examples of \(\infty\)-cosmoi whose objects are \(2\)-categories or bicategories and compares the formal category theory that is so-encoded with classical \(2\)-category and bicategory theory. The synopsis of the paper goes as follows. \begin{itemize} \item[\S 2] develops two particular fertile examples, say, the \(\infty\)-cosmos \(2\)-\(\mathbb{C}\mathrm{at}\) of \(2\)-categories, \(2\)-functors and \(2\)-natural transformations and the \(\infty\)-cosmos \(\mathbb{I}\mathrm{con}\) of bicategories, normal pseudofunctors and icons. \item[\S 3] reviews the basic formal theory of \(\infty\)-categories in an \(\infty\)-cosmos, recalling the \(\infty\)-cosmological \(\infty\)-definitions of equivalences between \(\infty\)-categories, adjunctions between \(\infty\)-categories, terminal objects in an \(\infty\)-category, and limits in an \(\infty\)-category. \item[\S 4 and \S 5] explore each of the \(\infty\)-cosmoi \(2\)-\(\mathbb{C}\mathrm{at}\) and \(\mathbb{I}\mathrm{con}\) in turn, describing the varieties of formal \(2\)-category theory and bicategory theory. \item[\S 6] proposes some topics for future study. \end{itemize}