Operads, operadic categories and the blob complex (Q6154441)

The blob complex was introduced by \textit{S. Morrison} and \textit{K. Walker} [Geom. Topol. 16, No. 3, 1481--1607 (2012; Zbl 1280.57026)], associating to an -dimensional manifold \(\mathbb{M}\), rigged with a system of fields \(\mathcal{C}\)\ containing an ideal of local relations \(\mathcal{U}\), the \textit{blob complex} \(\mathcal{B}_{\ast}\left( \mathbb{M},\mathcal{C} \right) \), which is a chain complex whose salient feature is the isomorphism \[ H_{0}\left( \mathcal{B}_{\ast}\left( \mathbb{M},\mathcal{C}\right) \right) \cong A\left( \mathbb{M}\right) :=\mathcal{C}\left( \mathbb{M}\right) /\mathcal{U}\left( \mathbb{M}\right) \] where \(A\left( \mathbb{M}\right) \)\ is the skein module associated to \(\mathbb{M}\). This paper shows in two ways how to interpret the blob complex within operad theory. The first interpretation produces a complex quasi-isomorphic to the Morrison-Walker blob complex, namely, the bar construction of a certain operad of fields over an operadic category of blob configurations in \(\mathbb{M}\). The second interpretation identifies the blob complex with Fresse's bar construction of a traditional colored operad [\textit{B. Fresse}, Contemp. Math. 346, 115--215 (2004; Zbl 1077.18007)], reminiscent of the little discs operad, the colors being blobs in \(\mathbb{M}\)\ with boundaries decorated by fields. As a by-product, the theory of unary operadic categories is developed while some novel and scintillating phenomena arising in this context are investigated.