By regarding the classical non abelian cohomology of groups from a 2-dimensional categorical viewpoint, we are led to a non abelian cohomology of groupoids which continues to satisfy classification, interpretation and representation theorems generalizing the classical ones. This categorical approach is based on the fact that if groups are regarded as categories, then, on the one hand, crossed modules are 2-groupoids and, cocycles are lax 2-functors and the cocycle conditions are precisely the coherence axioms for lax 2-functors, and, on the other hand group extensions are fibrations of categories. Furthermore, $n$-simplices in the nerve of a 2-category are lax 2-functors.
In this paper, we give an accessible introduction to the theory of orbispaces via groupoids. We define a certain class of topological groupoids, which we call orbigroupoids. Each orbigroupoid represents an orbispace, but just as with orbifolds and Lie groupoids, this representation is not unique: orbispaces are Morita equivalence classes of orbigroupoids. We show how to formalize this equivalence by defining the category of orbispaces as a bicatecory of fractions from the category of orbigroupoids. We focus particularly on laying the groundwork for future work in creating mapping objects for o…
If $X$ is a topological group, then its fundamental groupoid $π_1X$ is a group-groupoid which is a group object in the category of groupoids. Further if $X$ is a path connected topological group which has a simply connected cover, then the category of covering spaces of $X$ and the category of covering groupoids of $π_1X$ are equivalent. In this paper we prove that if $(X,x_0)$ is an $H$-group, then the fundamental groupoid $π_1X$ is a categorical group. This enable us to prove that the category of the covering spaces of an $H$-group $(X,x_0)$ is equivalent to the category of covering groupoid…
We set up a fibred categorical theory of obstruction and classification of morphisms that specializes to the one of monoidal functors between categorical groups and also to the Schreier-Mac Lane theory of group extensions. Further applications are provided, as for example a classification of unital associative algebra extensions with non-abelian kernel in terms of Hochschild cohomology.
In this paper, we show that $\C{G}$-Frobenius algebras (for $\C{G}$ a finite groupoid) correspond to a particular class of Frobenius objects in the representation category of $D(k[\C{G}])$, where $D(k[\C{G}])$ is the Drinfeld double of the quantum groupoid $k[\C{G}]$.
The structure of monoidal categories in which every arrow is invertible is analyzed in this paper, where we develop a 3-dimensional Schreier-Grothendieck theory of non-abelian factor sets for their classification. In particular, we state and prove precise classification theorems for those monoidal groupoids whose isotropy groups are all abelian, as well as for their homomorphisms, by means of Leech's cohomology groups of monoids.
In this paper we introduce a description of ordered groupoids as a particular type of double categories. This enables us to turn Lawson's correspondence between ordered groupoids and left-cancellative categories into a biequivalence. We use this to identify which ordered functors are maps of sites in the sense that they give rise to geometric morphisms between the induced sheaf categories, and establish a Comparison Lemma for maps between Ehresmann sites.
Transformational music theory, pioneered by the work of Lewin, shifts the music-theoretical and analytical focus from the "object-oriented" musical content to an operational musical process, in which transformations between musical elements are emphasized. In the original framework of Lewin, the set of transformations often form a group, with a corresponding group action on a given set of musical objects. Klumpenhouwer networks have been introduced based on this framework: they are informally labelled graphs, the labels of the vertices being pitch classes, and the labels of the arrows being tr…
We consider the categorical equivalence between crossed modules over groupoids and double groupoids with thin structures; and by this equivalence, we prove how normality and quotient concepts are related in these two categories and give some examples of these objects.
Pivotal Brauer-Picard groupoids and graded extensions
University of Southern California（南加州大学）；University of Oslo（奥斯陆大学）；University of New Hampshire（新罕布什尔大学）；Indiana University（印第安纳大学）；Vrije Universiteit Brussel（布鲁塞尔自由大学）；Universität Hamburg（汉堡大学）；The University of Edinburgh（爱丁堡大学）；University of Alberta（阿尔伯塔大学）
In this paper using split extensions of group-groupoids we obtain the notion of crossed modules over group-grouoids which are also called 2-groups and we prove a categorical equivalence of these types of crossed modules and double group-groupoids which are internal to the category of group-groupoids. This equivalence enables us to produce more examples of double groupoids.
In this paper we study equivariant crossed modules in its link with strict graded categorical groups. The resulting Schreier theory for equivariant group extensions of the type of an equivariant crossed module generalizes both the theory of group extensions of the type of a crossed module and the one of equivariant group extensions.
In this paper we construct two groupoids from morphisms of groupoids, with one from a categorical viewpoint and the other from a geometric viewpoint. We show that for each pair of groupoids, the two kinds of groupoids of morphisms are equivalent. Then we study the automorphism groupoid of a groupoid.
We define and study the 2-category of torsors over a Picard groupoid, a central extension of a group by a Picard groupoid, and commutator maps in this central extension. Using it in the context of two-dimensional local fields and two-dimensional adelic theory we obtain the two-dimensional tame symbol and a new proof of Parshin reciprocity laws on an algebraic surface.
A key invariant of a braided categorical group is its quadratic form, introduced by Joyal and Street. We show that the categorical group is braided equivalent to a simultaneously skeletal and strictly associative one if and only if the polarization of this quadratic form is the symmetrization of a bilinear form. This generalizes the result of Johnson-Osorno that all Picard groupoids can simultaneously be strictified and skeletalized, except that in the braided case there is a genuine obstruction.
We study the gerbal representations of a finite group $G$ or, equivalently, module categories over Ostrik's category $Vec_G^α$ for a 3-cocycle $α$. We adapt Bartlett's string diagram formalism to this situation to prove that the categorical character of a gerbal representation is a module over the twisted Drinfeld double $D^α(G)$. We interpret this twisted Drinfeld double in terms of the inertia groupoid of a categorical group.
Transformation groupoids associated to group actions capture the interplay between global and local symmetries of structures described in set-theoretic terms. This paper examines the analogous situation for structures described in category-theoretic terms, where symmetry is expressed as the action of a 2-group G (equivalently, a categorical group) on a category C. It describes the construction of a transformation groupoid in diagrammatic terms, and considers this construction internal to Cat, the category of categories. The result is a double category C//G which describes the local symmetries …
In this paper we show that the strict and lax pullbacks of a 2-categorical opfibration along an arbitrary 2-functor are homotopy equivalent. We give two applications. First, we show that the strict fibers of an opfibration model the homotopy fibers. This is a version of Quillen's Theorem B amenable to applications. Second, we compute the $E^2$ page of a homology spectral sequence associated to an opfibration and apply this machinery to a 2-categorical construction of $S^{-1}S$. We show that if $S$ is a symmetric monoidal 2-groupoid with faithful translations then $S^{-1}S$ models the group com…
Self-similar group actions may be encoded by a class of left cancellative monoids called left Rees monoids, a result obtained by combining pioneering work by Perrot with later work by the first author. Left Rees monoids that are also right cancellative are called Rees monoids. Irreducible Rees monoids have the striking property that they are embedded in their universal groups and these universal groups are HNN extensions by a single stable letter. In this paper, we generalize the above theory from monoids to categories. We study the structure of left Rees categories and prove that Rees categor…
To $2$-categorify the theory of group representations, we introduce the notions of the $3$-representation of a group in a strict $3$-category and the strict $2$-categorical action of a group on a strict $2$-category. We also $2$-categorify the concept of the trace by introducing the $2$-categorical trace of a $1$-endomorphism in a strict $3$-category. For a $3$-representation $ρ$ of a group $G$ and an element $f$ of $G$, the $2$-categorical trace $\mathbb{T}r_2 ρ_f $ is a category. Moreover, the centralizer of $f$ in $G$ acts categorically on this $2$-categorical trace. We construct the induce…
Ehresmann's introduction of differentiable groupoids in the 1950s may be seen as a starting point for two diverging lines of research, many-object Lie theory (the study of Lie algebroids and Lie groupoids) and sketch theory. This thesis uses tangent categories to build a bridge between these two lines of research, providing a structural account of Lie algebroids and the Lie functor. To accomplish this, we develop the theory of involution algebroids, which are a tangent-categorical sketch of Lie algebroids. We show that the category of Lie algebroids is precisely the category of involution alge…
Given a particular collection of categorical axioms, aimed at capturing properties of the category of locales, we show that if $\mathcal{C}$ is a category that satisfies the axioms then so too is the category $[ G, \mathcal{C}]$ of $G$-objects, for any internal group $G$. To achieve this we prove a general categorical result: if an object $S$ is double exponentiable in a category with finite products then so is its associated trivial $G$-object $(S, π_2: G \times S \rightarrow S)$. The result holds even if $S$ is not exponentiable. An example is given of a category $\mathcal{C}$ that satisfies…
We introduce and develop a categorification of the theory of Real representations of finite groups. In particular, we generalize the categorical character theory of Ganter--Kapranov and Bartlett to the Real setting. Given a Real representation of a group $\mathsf{G}$, or more generally a finite categorical group, on a linear category, we associate a number, the modified secondary trace, to each graded commuting pair $(g, ω) \in \mathsf{G} \times \hat{\mathsf{G}}$, where $\hat{\mathsf{G}}$ is the background Real structure on $\mathsf{G}$. This collection of numbers defines the Real $2$-characte…
Quantum field theory allows more general symmetries than groups and Lie algebras. For instance quantum groups, that is Hopf algebras, have been familiar to theoretical physicists for a while now. Nowdays many examples of symmetries of categorical flavor -- categorical groups, groupoids, Lie algebroids and their higher analogues -- appear in physically motivated constructions and faciliate constructions of geometrically sound models and quantization of field theories. Here we consider two flavours of categorified symmetries: one coming from noncommutative algebraic geometry where varieties them…
We construct so called Hall monoidal categories (and Hall modules thereover) and exhibit them as a categorification of classical Hall and Hecke algebras (and certain modules thereover). The input of the (functorial!) construction are simplicial groupoids satisfying the $2$-Segal conditions (as introduced by Dyckerhoff and Kapranov), the main examples come from Waldhausen's S-construction. To treat the case of modules, we introduce a relative version of the $2$-Segal conditions. Furthermore, we generalize a classical result about the representation theory of symmetric groups to the case of wrea…
We study what happens when coherence fails. Categories with a tensor product and a natural associativity isomorphism that does not necessarily satisfy the pentagon coherence requirements (called associative categories) are considered. Categorical versions of associahedra where naturality squares commute and pentagons do not, are constructed (called Catalan groupoids, $\An$). These groupoids are used in the construction of the free associative category. They are also used in the construction of the theory of associative categories (given as a 2-sketch). Generators and relations are given for th…
In this paper we propose, firstly, a categorification of virtual braid groups and groupoids in terms of "locally" braided objects in a symmetric category (SC), and, secondly, a definition of self-distributive structures (SDS) in an arbitrary SC. SDS are shown to produce braided objects in a SC. As for examples, we interpret associativity and the Jacobi identity in a SC as generalized self-distributivity, thus endowing associative and Leibniz algebras with a "local" braiding. Our "double braiding" approach provides a natural interpretation for virtual racks and twisted Burau representation. Hom…
We present a general abstract framework for combinatorial Dyson-Schwinger equations, in which combinatorial identities are lifted to explicit bijections of sets, and more generally equivalences of groupoids. Key features of combinatorial Dyson-Schwinger equations are revealed to follow from general categorical constructions and universal properties. Rather than beginning with an equation inside a given Hopf algebra and referring to given Hochschild $1$-cocycles, our starting point is an abstract fixpoint equation in groupoids, shown canonically to generate all the algebraic structure. Precisel…
This paper gives a definition of an extended topological quantum field theory (TQFT) as a weak 2-functor Z: nCob_2 -> 2Vect, by analogy with the description of a TQFT as a functor Z: nCob -> Vect. We also show how to obtain such a theory from any finite group G. This theory is related to a topological gauge theory, the Dijkgraaf-Witten model. To give this definition rigorously, we first define a bicategory of cobordisms between cobordisms. We also give some explicit description of a higher-categorical version of Vect, denoted 2Vect, a bicategory of "2-vector spaces". Along the way, we prove se…
