Representation and character theory in 2-categories

Abstract: We define the character of a group representation in a 2-category C. For linear C, this notion yields a Hopkins-Kuhn-Ravenel type character theory defined on pairs of commuting elements of the group. We discuss some examples and prove a formula for the character of the induced representation.

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Given a \(1\)-endomorphism \(A\) of an object \({\mathcal V}\) in a \(2\)-category \({\mathcal C}\), the authors define a categorical trace for \(A\). In general the categorical trace is a set, but if \({\mathcal C}\) is linear over a field then the categorical trace is a vector space. If \({\mathcal C}\) is linear and the categorical trace of \(A\) is finite-dimensional and if \(B\)~is another \(1\)-endomorphism of \({\mathcal V}\) commuting with \(A\), then the authors define a joint trace for \(A\) and \(B\). For a group~\(G\) acting on a linear category with finite-dimensional homomorphism spaces, the construction yields a conjugation-invariant \(2\)-character defined on commuting pairs of elements of \(G\). The authors define an induction process for categorical representations and compute its effect on \(2\)-characters. Their result agrees with a formula for a transfer map in Morava \(K\)-theory.

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