The theory of half derivators (Q2135732)

Following pioneering works of Daniel Kan, Peter Gabriel and Michel Zisman, and Daniel Quillen, the subject of homotopy inticately involved category theory. By 1998, with the work of Alex Heller and Alexander Grothendieck, a homotopy theory was seen as a category \(\mathbb{D}\) parametrized by (or varying over) the 2-category \(\mathrm{Cat}\) of small categories. Under some conditions, involving completeness, cocompleteness and a strong generating role for the terminal category \(\mathbf{1}\), Grothendieck used the term \textit{derivator} for such a \(\mathbb{D}\). It was pleasing to see that ideas of \textit{R. Street} [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 21, 307--338 (1981; Zbl 0469.18007)] were being applied in this field. In particular, note that cocompleteness for a variable category involves a Beck-Chevalley-like condition on comma squares. While the paper under review does not explicitly define \textit{half derivator}, it seems to mean that either the completeness or cocompleteness is dropped. Keeping the bicategorical viewpoint to a minimum, the author shows that many of the results for derivators hold under the weaker conditions. The author concludes ``by defining the maximal domain for a \(K\)-theory of derivators generalising Waldhausen \(K\)-theory''. (As a sign of a new generation, the author seems apologetic for referring to a paper published in typewritten form before \LaTeX.)