Higher-dimensional algebra. III: n-categories and the algebra of opetopes

DOI10.1006/AIMA.1997.1695MaRDI QIDQ1267982zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Publication date 8 December 1998

Published in Advances in Mathematics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/q-alg/9702014

\(n\)-categories coherent algebras opetopes slice operad

Abstract: We give a definition of weak n-categories based on the theory of operads. We work with operads having an arbitrary set S of types, or `S-operads', and given such an operad O, we denote its set of operations by elt(O). Then for any S-operad O there is an elt(O)-operad O+ whose algebras are S-operads over O. Letting I be the initial operad with a one-element set of types, and defining I(0) = I, I(i+1) = I(i)+, we call the operations of I(n-1) the `n-dimensional opetopes'. Opetopes form a category, and presheaves on this category are called `opetopic sets'. A weak n-category is defined as an opetopic set with certain properties, in a manner reminiscent of Street's simplicial approach to weak omega-categories. Similarly, starting from an arbitrary operad O instead of I, we define `n-coherent O-algebras', which are n times categorified analogs of algebras of O. Examples include `monoidal n-categories', `stable n-categories', `virtual n-functors' and `representable n-prestacks'. We also describe how n-coherent O-algebra objects may be defined in any (n+1)-coherent O-algebra.

Review text

[For Part I, see \textit{J. C. Baez} and \textit{M. Neuchl}, Adv. Math. 121, No. 2, 196--244 (1996; Zbl 0855.18008); for Part II, see \textit{J. C. Baez}, Adv. Math. 127, No. 2, 125--189 (1997; Zbl 0896.18001).] Several methods have been proposed for defining weak \(n\)-categories; this paper gives a definition based on operads. An operad consists of a collection of types, a collection of operations between them, and a collection of reduction laws relating the operations; for example, there is an initial operad \(I\) consisting of one type and one operation (the identity). Given an operad \(O\), the authors construct a `slice operad' \(O^+\) whose types are the operations of \(O\) and whose operations are the reduction laws of \(O\). This idea gives a formalism for dealing with coherence. By iterating the construction they obtain an operad \(O^{n+}\) whose types are called \(n\)-dimensional \(O\)-opetopes. These \(O\)-opetopes are analogous to simplexes, and there are \(O\)-opetopic sets analogous to simplicial sets. An \(n\)-coherent \(O\)-algebra is an \(O\)-opetopic set satisfying certain axioms (which depend on \(n\)); in particular a weak \(n\)-category is an \(n\)-coherent \(I\)-algebra, where \(I\) is the initial operad.

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