It is known that there is a weak-equivalence between the geometric realization of a simplicially enriched small category and its cofibrant replacement [12]. In this paper, we show that when only small categories are considered there exists a homeomorphism between these geometric realizations. We also discuss the naturality of these homoemorphisms. The inclusion of the category of small categories to the category of simplicially enriched categories, the cofibrant replacement of simplicially enriched categories, and the geometric realization of simplicially enriched categories are three composable functors. Hence one can ask if the collection of all these homeomorphisms gives a natural transformation from the composition of these three functors to the classifying space functor. We show that this is almost the case and that this composition can be considered as some twisted version of the classifying space functor. \end{abstract}
We study the classifying space of a twisted loop group $L_σG$ where $G$ is a compact Lie group and $σ$ is an automorphism of $G$ of finite order modulo inner automorphisms. Equivalently, we study the $σ$-twisted adjoint action of $G$ on itself. We derive a formula for the cohomology ring $H^*(BL_σG)$ and explicitly carry out the calculation for all automorphisms of simple Lie groups. More generally, we derive a formula for the equivariant cohomology of compact Lie group actions with constant rank stabilizers.
These notes provide an informal introduction to a type of Mackey functor that arises naturally in algebraic topology in connection with Morava $K$-theory of classifying spaces of finite groups. The main aim is to identify key algebraic aspects of the Green functor structure obtained by applying a Morava $K$-theory to such classifying spaces.
In the first part of this note, we review and compare various instances of the notion of twisted coefficient system, a.k.a. polynomial functor, appearing in the literature. This notion hinges on how one defines the degree of a functor from $\mathcal{C}$ to an abelian category, for various different structures on $\mathcal{C}$. In the second part, we focus on twisted coefficient systems defined on partial braid categories, and explain a functorial framework for this setting.
We study the homotopy aspects of the twisted Chern classes of torsion bundle gerbe modules. Using Sullivan's rational homotopy theory, we realize the twisted Chern classes at the level of classifying spaces. The construction suggests a notion, which we call fractional U-structure serving as a universal framework to study the twisted Chern classes of torsion bundle gerbe modules from the perspective of classifying spaces. Based on this, we introduce and study higher fractional structures on torsion bundle gerbe modules parallel to the higher structures on ordinary vector bundles.
We study the cohomology with twisted coefficients of the geometric realization of a linking system associated to a saturated fusion system $\mathcal{F}$. More precisely, we extend a result due to Broto, Levi and Oliver to twisted coefficients. We generalize the notion of $\mathcal{F}$-stable elements to $\mathcal{F}^c$-stable elements in a setting of cohomology with twisted coefficients by an action of the fundamental group.% or, in other word, with locally constant coefficients. We then study the problem of inducing an idempotent from an $\mathcal{F}$-characteristic $(S,S)$-biset and we show …
We prove that each exponential functor on the category of finite-dimensional complex inner product spaces and isomorphisms gives rise to an equivariant higher (ie. non-classical) twist of $K$-theory over $G=SU(n)$. This twist is represented by a Fell bundle $\mathcal{E} \to \mathcal{G}$, which reduces to the basic gerbe for the top exterior power functor. The groupoid $\mathcal{G}$ comes equipped with a $G$-action and an augmentation map $\mathcal{G} \to G$, that is an equivariant equivalence. The $C^*$-algebra $C^*(\mathcal{E})$ associated to $\mathcal{E}$ is stably isomorphic to the section …
We introduce a general theory of parametrized objects in the setting of infinity categories. Although spaces and spectra parametrized over spaces are the most familiar examples, we establish our theory in the generality of objects of a presentable infinity category parametrized over objects of an infinity topos. We obtain a coherent functor formalism describing the relationship of the various adjoint functors associated to base-change and symmetric monoidal structures. Our main applications are to the study of generalized Thom spectra. We obtain fiberwise constructions of twisted Umkehr maps f…
Given a finite group $G$ acting on a ring $R$, Merling constructed an equivariant algebraic $K$-theory $G$-spectrum, and work of Malkiewich and Merling, as well as work of Barwick, provides an interpretation of this construction as a spectral Mackey functor. This construction is powerful, but highly categorical; as a result the Mackey functors comprising the homotopy are not obvious from the construction and have therefore not yet been calculated. In this work, we provide a computation of the homotopy Mackey functors of equivariant algebraic $K$-theory in terms of a purely algebraic constructi…
We develop an alternative to the May-Thomason construction used to compare operad based infinite loop machines to that of Segal, which relies on weak products. Our construction has the advantage that it can be carried out in $Cat$, whereas their construction gives rise to simplicial categories. As an application we show that a simplicial algebra over a $Σ$-free $Cat$ operad $\mathcal{O}$ is functorially weakly equivalent to a $Cat$ algebra over $\mathcal{O}$. When combined with the results of a previous paper, this allows us to conclude that up to weak equivalences the category of $\mathcal{O}…
The goal of this paper is to prove that the classifying spaces of categories of algebras governed by a prop can be determined by using function spaces on the category of props. We first consider a function space of props to define the moduli space of algebra structures over this prop on an object of the base category. Then we mainly prove that this moduli space is the homotopy fiber of a forgetful map of classifying spaces, generalizing to the prop setting a theorem of Rezk. The crux of our proof lies in the construction of certain universal diagrams in categories of algebras over a prop. We i…
Like categories, small 2-categories have well-understood classifying spaces. In this paper, we deal with homotopy types represented by 2-diagrams of 2-categories. Our results extend to homotopy colimits of 2-functors lower categorical analogues that have been classically used in algebraic topology and algebraic K-theory, such as the Homotopy Invariance Theorem (by Bousfield and Kan), the Homotopy Colimit Theorem (Thomason), Theorems A and B (Quillen), or the Homotopy Cofinality Theorem (Hirschhorn).
We construct and study a functorial extension of the evaluation map $S^1 \times \mathcal{L} X \to X$ to transfers along finite covers. For finite covers of classifying spaces of finite groups, we provide algebraic formulas for this extension in terms of bisets. In the sequel, we show that this induces a natural evaluation map on the full subcategory of the homotopy category of spectra consisting of $p$-completed classifying spectra of finite groups.
Motivated by the challenge of defining twisted quantum field theories in the context of higher categories, we develop a general framework for lax and oplax transformations and their higher analogs between strong $(\infty, n)$-functors. We construct a double $(\infty,n)$-category built out of the target $(\infty, n)$-category governing the desired diagrammatics. We define (op)lax transformations as functors into parts thereof, and an (op)lax twisted field theory to be a symmetric monoidal (op)lax natural transformation between field theories. We verify that lax trivially-twisted relative field …
We construct a topological space to study contextuality in quantum mechanics. The resulting space is a classifying space in the sense of algebraic topology. Cohomological invariants of our space correspond to physical quantities relevant to the study of contextuality. Within this framework the Wigner function of a quantum state can be interpreted as a class in the twisted $K$-theory of the classifying space.
Examples of non-trivial higher string topology operations have been regrettably rare in the literature. In this paper, working in the context of string topology of classifying spaces, we provide explicit calculations of a wealth of non-trivial higher string topology operations associated to a number of different Lie groups. As an application of these calculations, we obtain an abundance of interesting homology classes in the twisted homology groups of automorphism groups of free groups, the ordinary homology groups of holomorphs of free groups, and the ordinary homology groups of affine groups…
In this paper we study the classifying theory of principal bundles in the parametrized setting, motivated by recent interest in higher gauge theory. Using simplicial techniques, we construct a product-preserving classifying space functor for groups in the category of spaces over a fixed space B. Additionally, we prove that the fiberwise geometric realization functor sends a large class of simplicial parametrized principal bundles to ordinary parametrized principal bundles. As an application we show that the fiberwise geometric realization of the universal simplicial principal bundle for a simp…
We show that the conditions in Steimle's 'additivity theorem for cobordism categories' can be weakened to only require \emph{locally} (co)Cartesian fibrations, making it applicable to a larger class of functors. As an application we compute the difference in classifying spaces between the infinity category of cospans of finite sets and its homotopy category.
Let $G$ be a compact connected Lie group. We show that the category $\mathbf{Loc}_{\infty}(BG)$ of $\infty$-local systems on the classifying space of $G$, can be described infinitesimally as the category $\mathbf{InfLoc}_{\infty}(\mathfrak{g})$ of basic $\mathfrak{g}$-$L_\infty$ spaces. Moreover, we show that, given a principal bundle $π\colon P \rightarrow X$ with structure group $G$ and any connection $θ$ on $P$, there is a DG functor $$\mathcal{CW}_θ \colon \mathbf{InfLoc}_{\infty}(\mathfrak{g}) \longrightarrow \mathbf{Loc}_{\infty}(X), $$ which corresponds to the pullback functor by the cl…
The Segal conjecture describes stable maps between classifying spaces in terms of (virtual) bisets for the finite groups in question. Along these lines, we give an algebraic formula for the p-completion functor applied to stable maps between classifying spaces purely in terms of fusion data and Burnside modules.
In this paper, we extend the definition of cohomology associated to monotone graph properties, to encompass twisted functor coefficients. We introduce oriented matchings on graphs, and focus on their (twisted) cohomology groups. We characterise oriented matchings in terms of induced free-flow pseudoforests, and explicitly determine the homotopy type of the associated simplicial complexes. Furthermore, we provide a connection between the cohomology of oriented matchings with certain functor coefficients, and the recently defined multipath cohomology. Finally, we define a further oriented homolo…
We describe several equivalent models for the infinity-category of infinity-local systems of chain complexes over a space using the framework of quasi-categories. We prove that the given models are equivalent as infinity-categories by exploiting the relationship between the differential graded nerve functor and the cobar construction. We use one of these models to calculate the quasi-categorical colimit of an infinity-local system in terms of a twisted tensor product.
This is the first in a series of papers constructing geometric models of twisted differential K-theory. In this paper we construct a model of even twisted differential K-theory when the underlying topological twist represents a torsion class. By differential twists we will mean smooth U(1)-gerbes with connection, and we use twisted vector bundles with connection as cocycles. The model we construct satisfies the axioms of Kahle and Valentino, including functoriality, naturality of twists, and the hexagon diagram. This paper confirms a long-standing hypothetical idea that twisted vector bundles …
In this paper we propose a new treatment about infinite dimensional manifolds, using the language of category and functor. Our definition of infinite dimensional manifolds is a natural generalization of finite dimensional manifolds in the sense that de Rham cohomology and singular cohomology can be naturally defined and the basic properties (Functorial Property, Homotopy Invariant, Mayer-Vietoris Sequence) are preserved. In this setting we define the classifying space $BG$ of Lie group $G$ as an infinite dimensional manifold. Using simplicial homotopy theory and the Chern-Weil theory for princ…
To a coarse structure we associate a Grothendieck topology which is determined by coarse covers. A coarse map between coarse spaces gives rise to a morphism of Grothendieck topologies. This way we define sheaves and sheaf cohomology on coarse spaces. We obtain that sheaf cohomology is a functor on the coarse category: if two coarse maps are close they induce the same map in cohomology. There is a coarse version of a Mayer-Vietoris sequence and for every inclusion of coarse spaces there is a coarse version of relative cohomology. Cohomology with constant coefficients can be computed using the n…
In this note, we study equivariant versions of Stolz' $R$-groups, the positive scalar curvature structure groups $R^{\rm spin}_n(X)^G$, for proper actions of discrete groups $G$. We define the concept of a fundamental groupoid functor for a $G$-space, encapsulating all the fundamental group information of all the fixed point sets and their relations. We construct classifying spaces for fundamental groupoid functors. As a geometric result, we show that Stolz' equivariant $R$-group $R^{\rm spin}_n(X)^G$ depends only on the fundamental groupoid functor of the reference space $X$. The proof covers…
We construct a relative version of topological $K$-theory of dg categories over an arbitrary quasi-compact, quasi-separated $\mathbb{C}$-scheme $X$. This has as input a $\text{Perf}(X)$-linear stable $\infty$-category and output a sheaf of spectra on $X(\mathbb{C})$, the space of complex points of $X$. We then characterize the values of this functor on inputs of the form $Mod_{A}^ω$, for $A$ a derived Azumaya algebra over $X$. In such cases we show that this coincides with the $α$-twisted topological $K$-theory of $X(\mathbb{C})$ for some appropriately defined twist of $K$-theory. We use this …
