Cohomology and deformation theory of monoidal 2-categories. I. (Q1424498)

Potential applications to the construction of four-dimensional topological quantum field theories, obtained from the 2-category of representations of a Hopf category, motivate the author of this long and interesting paper to take a step more in the process of categorification of the classical work of \textit{M. Gerstenhaber} on deformation of algebras [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 79, 59--103 (1964; Zbl 0123.03101)]. To do that, the author extends to the context of semigroupal 2-categories (i.e., 2-categories with a coherently associative but not unital tensor product) the theory developed by \textit{L. Crane} and \textit{D. N. Yetter} for semigroupal categories [Cah. Topologie Géom. Différ. Catég. 39, 163--180 (1998; Zbl 0916.18005)] and by \textit{D. N. Yetter} for braided monoidal categories [Contemp. Math. 230, 117--134 (1998; Zbl 0927.18003)]. A deformation theory for semigroupal 2-categories and a theory of infinitesimal deformations for a pseudofunctor are developed. Cohomological descriptions of these kinds of deformations are then consecutively given by using appropriate cochain complexes. In this way, a 3-th cohomology group measures the (up to equivalence classes) infinitesimal unitary deformations of the pentagonator (the invertible modification showing the weakening of the pentagon axiom on the associative constraint) and a 2-th cohomology group the infinitesimal unitary (tensorator, associator)-deformations (the case where both the tensor product and the associator are simultaneously deformed). Finally, both cohomologies fit together in a global cohomology describing the generic infinitesimal unitary deformations.