The fundamental 2-crossed complex of a reduced CW-complex (Q643523)

This paper gives a new proof that the homotopy category of pointed \(3\)-types is equivalent to the homotopy category of \(2\)-crossed complexes of groups. The proof uses the fundamental \(2\)-crossed complex \(\Omega^\infty(X)\) of a reduced CW complex \(X\), which is shown to be totally free on the cells of \(X\). The functor \(\Omega^\infty\) is similar to Baues' quadratic chain complex functor \(Q\); indeed the category of quadratic chain complexes is a reflective subcategory of the category of \(2\)-crossed complexes.