The little bundles operad (Q784258)

Let \(E_n\) be the little \(n\)-disks operad. Recall that an operation in arity \(r\) of \(E_n\) is an embedding \(f\colon \coprod_r D^n\to D^n\), that on each copy of \(D^n\) amounts to rescaling and translation. Here \(D^n\) is the open unit disk in \(\mathbb R^n\). Let \(T\) be a topological space. The authors construct a new operad \(E^T_n\). An operation in arity \(r\) of \(E^T_n\) consists of an operation \(f\) in arity \(r\) of \(E_n\), together with a map from the complement of the image of \(f\) into \(T\). Composition in \(E^T_n\) is defined using composition in \(E_n\), and gluing complements of embeddings in a natural way. In fact, \(E^T_n\) is a topological colored operad, whose colors are given by the mapping space \(\operatorname{Map}({\mathbb{S}}^{n-1}, T)\). The space of operations in arity \(r\) of \(E^T_n\), which the authors denote by \(W_n^T(r)\), fits in a homotopy fibration sequence \[ \operatorname{Map}(\vee_{r} {\mathbb{S}}^{n-1}, T)\to W_n^T(r) \to E_n(r). \] For most of the paper the authors focus on the case when \(n=2\) and \(T=BG\) is the classifying space of a discrete group \(G\). The resulting operad is denoted by \(E_2^G\) and is named the operad of little \(G\)-bundles. Recall that \(E_2(r)\) is the classifying space of the pure braid group on \(r\) strings. The space \(\operatorname{Map}(\vee_{r} {\mathbb{S}}^{1}, BG)\) is homotopy equivalent to the homotopy quotient \(G^r//G\), where \(G\) is acting on each coordinate of \(G^r\) by conjugation. It follows in particular that the spaces \(W_n^T(r)\) that constitute the operad \(E_2^G\) are aspherical. Therefore \(E_2^G\) can be realized as the simplicial nerve of an operad in groupoids. The authors give an explicit presentation of this operad in groupoids in terms of generators and relations, using so called parenthesized \(G\)-braids. The main result of the paper describes the algebras over this operad in groupoids in the category of small categories. The algebras are identified as braided \(G\)-crossed categories. The last section discusses applications to topological field theories.