For a copy with the hand-drawn figures please email

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 ω-categories. In a similar manner, 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. 1

The strict globular omega-categories formalize the execution paths of a parallel automaton and the homotopies between them. One associates to such (and any) omega-category C three homology theories. The first one is called the globular homology. It contains the oriented loops of C. The two other ones are called the negative (resp. positive) corner homology. They contain in a certain manner the branching areas of execution paths or negative corners (resp. the merging areas of execution paths or positive corners) of C. Two natural linear maps called the negative (resp. the positive) Hurewicz morphism from the globular homology to the negative (resp. positive) corner homology are constructed. We explain the reason why these constructions allow the reinterpretation of some geometric problems coming from computer science.

We explore the combinatorial properties of the branching areas of execution paths in higher dimensional automata. Mathematically, this means that we investigate the combinatorics of the negative corner (or branching) homology of a globular #-category and the combinatorics of a new homology theory called the reduced branching homology. The latter is the homology of the quotient of the branching complex by the sub-complex generated by its thin elements. Conjecturally it coincides with the non reduced theory for higher dimensional automata, that is #-categories freely generated by precubical sets. As application, we calculate the branching homology of some #-categories and we give some invariance results for the reduced branching homology. We only treat the branching side. The merging side, that is the case of merging areas of execution paths is similar and can be easily deduced from the branching side.

This paper is a survey of the new notions and results scattered in [13], [11] and [12]. Starting from a formalization of higher dimensional automata (HDA) by strict globular !-categories, the construction of a diagram of simplicial sets over the three-object small category gl ! + is exposed. Some of the properties discovered so far on the corresponding simplicial homology theories are explained, in particular their links with geometric problems coming from concurrency theory in computer science.

The purpose of this paper is to develop some additional techniques for the weak n-categories defined by Tamsamani in [27] (which he calls n-nerves). The goal is to be able to define the internal Hom(A, B) for two n-nerves A and B, which should itself be an n-nerve. This in turn is for defining the n + 1-nerve nCAT of all n-nerves conjectured in

Using the theory of pasting presentations, developed in chapter 2, I give a detailed description of the tensor product on !-categories, which extends Gray's tensor product on 2-categories and which is closely related to Brown-Higgins's tensor product on !-groupoids. Immediate consequences are a general and uniform definition of higher dimensional lax natural transformations, and a nice and transparent description of the corresponding internal homs. Further consequences will be in the development of a theory for weak n-categories, since both tensor products and lax structures are crucial in this. Contents 1 Introduction 3 2 Cubes and cubical sets 5 2.1 Cubes combinatorially : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 5 2.2 A model category for cubes : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 6 2.3 Generating the model category for cubes : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 7 2.4 Cubical sets : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 9 2.5 Duality : : : : : : : : : : : : : ...

Abstract. As an example of the categorical apparatus of pseudo algebras over 2-theories, we show that pseudo algebras over the 2-theory of categories can be viewed as pseudo double categories with folding or as appropriate 2-functors into bicategories. Foldings are equivalent to connection pairs, and also to thin structures if the vertical and horizontal morphisms coincide. In a sense, the squares of a double category with folding are determined in a functorial way by the 2-cells of the horizontal 2-category. As a special case, strict 2-algebras with one object and everything invertible are crossed modules under a group.

. A finitary monad A on the category of globular sets provides basic algebraic operations from which more involved `pasting' operations can be derived. To makes this rigorous, we define A-computads and construct a monad on the category of A-computads whose algebras are A-algebras; an action of the new monad encapsulates the pasting operations. When A is the monad whose algebras are n-categories, an A-computad is an n-computad in the sense of R.Street. When A is associated to a higher operad (in the sense of the author) , we obtain pasting in weak n-categories. This is intended as a first step towards proving the equivalence of the various definitions of weak n-category now in the literature. Introduction This work arose as a reflection on the foundation of higher dimensional category theory. One of the main ingredients of any proposed definition of weak n-category is the shape of diagrams (pasting scheme) we accept to be composable. In a globular approach [3] each k-cell has a source ...

Much Australian work on categories is part of, or relevant to, the development of higher categories and their theory. In this note, I hope to describe some of the origins and achievements of our efforts that they might perchance serve as a guide to the development of aspects of higher-dimensional work. I trust that the somewhat autobiographical style will add interest rather than be a distraction. For so long I have felt rather apologetic when describing how categories might be helpful to other mathematicians; I have often felt even worse when mentioning enriched and higher categories to category theorists. This is not to say that I have doubted the value of our work, rather that I have felt slowed down by the continual pressure to defend it. At last, at this meeting, I feel justified in speaking freely amongst motivated researchers who know the need for the subject is well established. Australian Category Theory has its roots in homology theory: more precisely, in the treatment of the cohomology ring and the Künneth formulas in the book by Hilton and Wylie [HW]. The first edition of the book had a mistake concerning the cohomology ring of a product. The Künneth formulas arise from splittings of the natural short exact sequences