Codescent theory. I: Foundations (Q1764660)

Let \({\mathcal S}^{\mathcal C}\) be the category of functors from a small category \({\mathcal C}\) to a cofibrantly generated model category \({\mathcal S}\). A morphism \(X\to Y\) in \({\mathcal S}^{\mathcal C}\) is called a weak \({\mathcal C}\)-equivalence if \(X(c)\to Y(c)\) is a weak equivalence for all objects \(c\) in \({\mathcal C}\). Inverting the \({\mathcal C}\)-weak equivalences produces a homotopy category \(\text{ Ho}_{\mathcal S}({\mathcal C})\). Now let \({\mathcal D}\) be a full subcategory of \({\mathcal C}\). The authors construct a relative model structure on \({\mathcal S}^{\mathcal C}\) such that a morphism is a weak equivalence in \({\mathcal S}^{\mathcal C}\) if and only if it restricts to a weak \({\mathcal D}\)-equivalence in \({\mathcal S}^{\mathcal D}\). They then say that a functor \(X: {\mathcal C}\to {\mathcal S}\) has the codescent property with respect to \({\mathcal D}\) if the cofibrant replacement \(QX\to X\) in the relative structure is a weak \({\mathcal C}\)-equivalence. Equivalently, \(X\) has the codescent property with respect to \({\mathcal D}\) if it is in the image of the left adjoint of the restriction functor from \(\text{ Ho}_{\mathcal S}({\mathcal C})\) to \(\text{ Ho}_{\mathcal S}({\mathcal D})\). The authors then give various invariance properties. The aim is to formulate the Baum-Connes and Farrell-Jones conjectures in terms of codescent.