Classification of braids which give rise to interchange (Q2464790)

Given a monoidal category \(\mathcal{V}\) endowed with a braiding \(c_{XY}:X\otimes{}Y\rightarrow{}Y\otimes{}X\), we can discuss duality (both left and right opposites) and tensor products. This leads to various higher structures, such as the 2-category \(\mathcal{V}\)-Cat of enriched \(\mathcal{V}\)-categories and functors over \(\mathcal{V}\), and the monoidal category of monoidal categories and monoidal functors under Cartesian product, MonCat. The paper investigates questions such as what inequivalent monoidal structures may be placed on \(\mathcal{V}\)-Cat, and relates them to the problem of finding inequivalent 2-fold monoidal structures on a braided category. The algebraic conditions on a braid \(b\in{}B_4\) for it to be the underlying braid of the middle four interchange of the (new) composition morphism of \(\otimes\) of an enriched \(\mathcal{V}\)-category (where objects, hom-objects and unit morphisms are chosen canonically while the associator and unit are standard), are precisely found. There are three parts to the conditions: unit conditions, a condition on the permutation of the braid and interchanging conditions (equality of elements of \(B_6\)). The authors name such braids ''interchanging unital'' and identify the list of such braids as those equivalent to \(b_{n^{\pm}}=(\sigma_2\sigma_1\sigma_3\sigma_2)^{\pm{}n} \sigma_2^{\pm1}(\sigma_1\sigma_3)^{\mp{}n}\) (\(n\geq1\)), while these are divided into two equivalence classes (by sign) under the relation of 2-fold monoidal equivalence. It is also shown how such questions are related to work on iterated monoidal categories [\textit{C.~Balteanu, Z.~Fiedorowicz, R.~Schwänzl} and \textit{R.~Vogt}, Adv. Math 176, 277--349 (2003; Zbl 1030.18006)] and operads.