Simplicial principal bundles in parametrized spaces (Q302293)

Fix a topological space \(B\). A \textit{parameterized space} (with base space \(B\)) is simply a space \(X\) equipped with a map \(X \to B\). This paper concerns simplicial objects, group objects, and simplicial group objects in the category of parameterized spaces, aka simplicial parameterized spaces, parameterized groups, and simplicial parameterized groups. A simplicial parameterized space is nothing but a simplicial space \(X_\bullet\) and maps \(X_n \to B\) compatible with the face and degeneracy maps. The ``fiberwise'' geometric realization of such an object is the space \(|X_\bullet|\) -- the geometric realization in non-parameterized spaces -- with its natural map to \(B\). In any category, group objects can be encoded as simplicial objects. If \(G\) is a parameterized group, its \textit{classifying space} \(BG\) is the parameterized space formed by geometrically realizing the corresponding simplicial parameterized space. The construction \(G \mapsto BG\) has the advantage of being product-preserving. The first main result (Theorem 1) of this paper is that \(BG\) deserves the name ``classifying space'': assuming mild topological conditions on \(G\), \(BG\) classifies parameterized principal \(G\)-bundles. (The mild topological conditions are: the unit section \(B \to G\) should be a cofibration for a certain model structure, and \(G\) should be fibrant as a parameterized space.) Key to this result is a more general study of the fiberwise geometric realization functor. The main ingredient is Theorem 2, which explains that under mild topological conditions, fiberwise geometric realization takes simplicial parameterized principal bundles for simplicial parameterized groups over simplicial parameterized spaces to parameterized principal bundles for the geometrically-realized parameterized groups over the geometrically-realized parameterized spaces. Examples satisfying the conditions can be produced using the W construction.