Descent in ∗ -autonomous categories

We extend the result of Joyal and Tierney asserting that a morphism of commutative algebras in the ∗-autonomous category of sup-lattices is an effective descent morphism for modules if and only if it is pure, to an arbitrary ∗-autonomous category V (in which the tensor unit is projective) by showing that any V-functor out of V is precomonadic if and only if it is comonadic.     

The category of 3-computads is not cartesian closed

We show, using [A. Carboni, P.T. Johnstone, Connected limits, familial representability and Artin glueing, Math. Structures Comput. Sci. 5 (1995) 441-459] and Eckmann-Hilton argument, that the category of 3-computads is not cartesian closed. As a corollary we get that neither the category of all computads nor the category of n-computads, for n>2, do form locally cartesian closed categories, and hence elementary toposes.     

A note on “Extensional PERs”

In the paper “Extensional PERs” by P. Freyd, P. Mulry, G. Rosolini and D. Scott, a category C of “pointed complete extensional PERs” and computable maps is introduced to provide an instance of an algebraically compact category relative to a restricted class of functors. Algebraic compactness is a synthetic condition on a category which ensures solutions of recursive equations involving endofunctors of the category. We extend that result to include all internal functors on C when C is viewed as a full internal category of the effective topos. This is done using two general results: one about internal functors in general, and one about internal functors in the effective topos.     

Universal spaces for homotopy limits of modules over coaugmented functors (I)

For a coaugmented functor J on spaces, we consider J-modules and finite J-limits. The former are spaces X which are retracts of JX via the natural map. The latter are homotopy limits of J-modules arranged in diagrams whose shape is finite dimensional. Familiar examples are generalised Eilenberg MacLane spaces, which are the SP^∞-modules. Finite SP^∞-limits are nilpotent spaces with a very strong finiteness property. We show that the cofacial Bousfield-Kan construction of the functors J_n is universal for finite J-limits in the sense that every map X→Y where Y is a finite J-limit, factors through such natural map X→J_nX, for some n<∞.     

Configurations in abelian categories—I: Basic properties and moduli stacks

This is the first in a series of papers on configurations in an abelian category A. Given a finite partially ordered set (I,?), an (I,?)-configuration(σ,ι,π) is a finite collection of objects σ(J) and morphisms ι(J,K) or π(J,K):σ(J)→σ(K) in A satisfying some axioms, where J,K are subsets of I. Configurations describe how an object X in A decomposes into subobjects, and are useful for studying stability conditions on A.We define and motivate the idea of configurations, and explain some natural operations upon them—subconfigurations, quotient configurations, substitution, refinements and improvements. Then we study moduli spaces of (I,?)-configurations in A, and natural morphisms between them, using the theory of Artin stacks. We prove well-behaved moduli stacks exist when A is the abelian category of coherent sheaves on a projective scheme P, or of representations of a quiver Q.In the sequels, given a stability condition (τ,T,?) on A, we will show the moduli spaces of τ-(semi)stable objects or configurations are constructible subsets in the moduli stacks of all objects or configurations. We associate infinite-dimensional algebras of constructible functions to a quiver Q using the method of Ringel-Hall algebras, and define systems of invariants of P that ‘count’ τ-(semi)stable coherent sheaves on P and satisfy interesting identities.     

When the heart of a faithful torsion pair is a module category

An abelian category with arbitrary coproducts and a small projective generator is equivalent to a module category (Mitchell (1964) [17]). A tilting object in an abelian category is a natural generalization of a small projective generator. Moreover, any abelian category with a tilting object admits arbitrary coproducts (Colpi et al. (2007) [8]). It naturally arises the question when an abelian category with a tilting object is equivalent to a module category. By Colpi et al. (2007) [8], the problem simplifies in understanding when, given an associative ring R and a faithful torsion pair (X,Y) in the category of right R-modules, the heartH(X,Y)of the t-structure associated with (X,Y) is equivalent to a category of modules. In this paper, we give a complete answer to this question, proving necessary and sufficient conditions on (X,Y) for H(X,Y) to be equivalent to a module category. We analyze in detail the case when R is right artinian.     

Invariants of t-structures and classification of nullity classes

We construct an invariant of t-structures on the derived category of a commutative noetherian ring. This invariant is complete when restricting to the category of complexes with finitely generated bounded homology, and also gives a classification of nullity classes with the same restriction. On the full derived category of Z we show that the class of distinct t-structures do not form a set.     

Symmetrisation of n-operads and compactification of real configuration spaces

It is well known that the forgetful functor from symmetric operads to nonsymmetric operads has a left adjoint Sym₁ given by product with the symmetric group operad. It is also well known that this functor does not affect the category of algebras of the operad. From the point of view of the author's theory of higher operads, the nonsymmetric operads are 1-operads and Sym₁ is the first term of the infinite series of left adjoint functors Symn, called symmetrisation functors, from n-operads to symmetric operads with the property that the category of one object, one arrow, …, one (n−1)-arrow algebras of an n-operad A is isomorphic to the category of algebras of Symn(A).In this paper we consider some geometrical and homotopical aspects of the symmetrisation of n-operads. We follow Getzler and Jones and consider their decomposition of the Fulton-Macpherson operad of compactified real configuration spaces. We construct an n-operadic counterpart of this compactification which we call the Getzler-Jones operad. We study the properties of Getzler-Jones operad and find that it is contractible and cofibrant in an appropriate model category. The symmetrisation of the Getzler-Jones operad turns out to be exactly the operad of Fulton and Macpherson. These results should be considered as an extension of Stasheff's theory of 1-fold loop spaces to n-fold loop spaces n?2. We also show that a space X with an action of a contractible n-operad has a natural structure of an algebra over an operad weakly equivalent to the little n-disks operad. A similar result holds for chain operads. These results generalise the classical Eckman-Hilton argument to arbitrary dimension.Finally, we apply the techniques to the Swiss-Cheese type operads introduced by Voronov and prove analogous results in this case.     

A remark on K-theory and S-categories

It is now well known that the K-theory of a Waldhausen category depends on more than just its (triangulated) homotopy category (Invent. Math. 150 (2002) 111). The purpose of this note is to show that the K-theory spectrum of a (good) Waldhausen category is completely determined by its Dwyer-Kan simplicial localization, without any additional structure. As the simplicial localization is a refined version of the homotopy category which also determines the triangulated structure, our result is a possible answer to the general question: “To which extent K-theory is not an invariant of triangulated derived categories? ”     

Characterizations of Morita equivalent inverse semigroups

We prove that four different notions of Morita equivalence for inverse semigroups motivated by C^∗-algebra theory, topos theory, semigroup theory and the theory of ordered groupoids are equivalent. We also show that the category of unitary actions of an inverse semigroup is monadic over the category of étale actions. Consequently, the category of unitary actions of an inverse semigroup is equivalent to the category of presheaves on its Cauchy completion. More generally, we prove that the same is true for the category of closed actions, which is used to define the Morita theory in semigroup theory, of any semigroup with right local units.     

An embedding theorem for regular Mal'tsev categories

In this paper, we obtain a non-abelian analogue of Lubkin's embedding theorem for abelian categories. Our theorem faithfully embeds any small regular Mal'tsev category $\mathbb{C}$ in an n-th power of a particular locally finitely presentable regular Mal'tsev category. The embedding preserves and reflects finite limits, isomorphisms and regular epimorphisms, as in the case of Barr's embedding theorem for regular categories. Furthermore, we show that we can take n to be the (cardinal) number of subobjects of the terminal object in $\mathbb{C}$.     

Finitely semisimple spherical categories and modular categories are self-dual

We show that every essentially small finitely semisimple k-linear additive spherical category for which k=End(1) is a field, is equivalent to its dual over the long canonical forgetful functor. This includes the special case of modular categories. In order to prove this result, we show that the universal coend of the spherical category, with respect to the long forgetful functor, is self-dual as a Weak Hopf Algebra.     

Open maps,colimits, and a convenient category of fibre spaces

We show that pulling back along an open map preserves all colimits in the category of weak Hausdorff k-spaces. We also show that the category of open maps over a weak Hausdorff k-space is a convenient category of fibre spaces.     

The Eckmann-Hilton argument and higher operads

The classical Eckmann-Hilton argument shows that two monoid structures on a set, such that one is a homomorphism for the other, coincide and, moreover, the resulting monoid is commutative. This argument immediately gives a proof of the commutativity of the higher homotopy groups. A reformulation of this argument in the language of higher categories is: suppose we have a one object, one arrow 2-category, then its Hom-set is a commutative monoid. A similar argument due to A. Joyal and R. Street shows that a one object, one arrow tricategory is ‘the same’ as a braided monoidal category.In this paper we begin to investigate how one can extend this argument to arbitrary dimension. We provide a simple categorical scheme which allows us to formalise the Eckmann-Hilton type argument in terms of the calculation of left Kan extensions in an appropriate 2-category. Then we apply this scheme to the case of n-operads in the author's sense and classical symmetric operads. We demonstrate that there exists a functor of symmetrisation Symn from a certain subcategory of n-operads to the category of symmetric operads such that the category of one object, one arrow, … , one (n−1)-arrow algebras of A is isomorphic to the category of algebras of Symn(A). Under some mild conditions, we present an explicit formula for Symn(A) which involves taking the colimit over a remarkable categorical symmetric operad.We will consider some applications of the methods developed to the theory of n-fold loop spaces in the second paper of this series.     

Fibred 2-categories and bicategories

We generalise the usual notion of fibred category; first to fibred 2-categories and then to fibred bicategories. Fibred 2-categories correspond to 2-functors from a 2-category into 2Cat. Fibred bicategories correspond to trihomomorphisms from a bicategory into Bicat. We describe the Grothendieck construction for each kind of fibration and present a few examples of each. Fibrations in our sense, between bicategories, are closed under composition and are stable under equiv-comma. The free such fibration on a homomorphism is obtained by taking an oplax comma along an identity.     

Relative homological algebra in the category of quasi-coherent sheaves

In this paper, we prove the existence of a flat cover and of a cotorsion envelope for any quasi-coherent sheaf over a scheme (X,O_X). Indeed we prove something more general. We define what it is understood by the category of quasi-coherent R-modules, where R is a representation by rings of a quiver Q, and we prove the existence of a flat cover and a cotorsion envelope for quasi-coherent R-modules. Then we use the fact that the category of quasi-coherent sheaves on (X,O_X) is equivalent to the category of quasi-coherent R-modules for some Q and R to get our result.     

The Isbell monad

In 1966 [7], John Isbell introduced a construction on categories which he termed the “couple category” but which has since come to be known as the Isbell envelope. The Isbell envelope, which combines the ideas of contravariant and covariant presheaves, has found applications in category theory, logic, and differential geometry. We clarify its meaning by exhibiting the assignation sending a locally small category to its Isbell envelope as the action on objects of a pseudomonad on the 2-category of locally small categories; this is the Isbell monad of the title. We characterise the pseudoalgebras of the Isbell monad as categories equipped with a cylinder factorisation system; this notion, which appears to be new, is an extension of Freyd and Kelly's notion of factorisation system [5] from orthogonal classes of arrows to orthogonal classes of cocones and cones.     

Two-sided hyperbolic SVD

In this paper, we propose the two-sided hyperbolic SVD (2HSVD) for square matrices, i.e., A=UΣV^[∗], where U and V^[∗] are J-unitary (J=diag(±1)) and Σ is a real diagonal matrix of “double-hyperbolic” singular values. We show that, with some natural conditions, such decomposition exists without the use of hyperexchange matrices. In other words, U and V^[∗] are really J-unitary with regard to J and not some matrix which is permutationally similar to matrix J. We provide full characterization of 2HSVD and completely relate it to the semidefinite J-polar decomposition.     

An “almost” full embedding of the category of graphs into the category of groups

We construct a functor F:Graphs→Groups which is faithful and “almost” full, in the sense that every nontrivial group homomorphism FX→FY is a composition of an inner automorphism of FY and a homomorphism of the form Ff, for a unique map of graphs f:X→Y. When F is composed with the Eilenberg-Mac Lane space construction K(FX,1) we obtain an embedding of the category of graphs into the unpointed homotopy category which is full up to null-homotopic maps.We provide several applications of this construction to localizations (i.e. idempotent functors); we show that the questions:

(1)

Is every orthogonality class reflective?

(2)

Is every orthogonality class a small-orthogonality class?

have the same answers in the category of groups as in the category of graphs. In other words they depend on set theory: (1) is equivalent to weak Vopěnka's principle and (2) to Vopěnka's principle. Additionally, the second question, considered in the homotopy category, is also equivalent to Vopěnka's principle.     

Order-adjoint monads and injective objects

Given a monad T on whose functor factors through the category of ordered sets with left adjoint maps, the category of Kleisli monoids is defined as the category of monoids in the hom-sets of the Kleisli category of T. The Eilenberg-Moore category of T is shown to be strictly monadic over the category of Kleisli monoids. If the Kleisli category of T moreover forms an order-enriched category, then the monad induced by the new situation is Kock-Zöberlein. Injective objects in the category of Kleisli monoids with respect to the class of initial morphisms then characterize the objects of the Eilenberg-Moore category of T, a fact that allows us to recuperate a number of known results, and present some new ones.