On the homotopy theory of Grothendieck \(\infty \)-groupoids (Q2376572)

In his well-known manuscript, ``Pursuing stacks'', \textit{A. Grothendieck} gave what was long assumed to be a sketch of a definition for \(\infty\)-groupoids. In some recent papers, Maltsiniotis showed that in fact this definition contained enough information to be considered a rigorous definition. In the paper under review, the author uses a variation of this definition to gain insight into the Homotopy Hypothesis, which asserts that \(\infty\)-groupoids should be equivalent to homotopy types of spaces. The definition given here has the advantage that it allows for a canonical inclusion of strict \(\infty\)-groupoids, to be developed further by the author. The main results of the paper are as follows. The author develops the notions of homotopy groups and weak equivalences of \(\infty\)-groupoids; in fact he shows that four different plausible definitions of weak equivalence are equivalent to one another. He then goes on to define the fundamental \(\infty\)-groupoid of an object of a model category in which all objects are fibrant. In the special case of the usual model structure on topological spaces, this definition allows for a new formulation of the Homotopy Hypothesis which will hopefully lead to progress toward its resolution.