Homotopy colimits of algebras over Cat-operads and iterated loop spaces (Q2437548)

This paper is concerned with operads enriched in the category Cat of small categories, which are called Cat-operads; in particular it is concerned with algebras over \(\Sigma\)-free Cat-operads. The category of \(n\)-fold monoidal categories is the catgory of algebras for an operad of this kind; so also are the categories of braided monoidal categories and of permutative categories. The authors construct homotopy colimits for algebras over a \(\Sigma\)-free Cat-operad \({\mathcal M}\), generalising the construction of Thomason for permutative categories. If \({\mathcal M}\) satisfies a factorisation condition, then the classifying space functor \(B\) induces an equivalence between \({\mathcal M}\)-algebras and \(B{\mathcal M}\)-algebras, up to inversion of weak equivalences. In particular \(n\)-fold monoidal categories are equivalent in this way to algebras over the little \(n\)-cubes operad, and up to group completion they are equivalent to \(n\)-fold loop spaces. Braided monoidal categories correpsond in the same way to double loop spaces, and permutative categories correspond to infinite loop spaces.