The purpose of this paper is to set up a theory of generalized operads and multicategories and to use it as a language in which to propose a definition of weak n-category. Included is a full explanation of why the proposed definition of n-category is a reasonable one, and of what happens when n <= 2. Generalized operads and multicategories play other parts in higher-dimensional algebra too, some of which are outlined here: for instance, they can be used to simplify the opetopic approach to n-categories expounded by Baez, Dolan and others, and are a natural language in which to discuss enrichment of categorical structures.

We seek a unified account of modularity for computational effects. We begin by reformulating Moggi’s monadic paradigm for modelling computational effects using the notion of enriched Lawvere theory, together with its relationship with strong monads; this emphasises the importance of the operations that produce the effects. Effects qua theories are then combined by appropriate bifunctors on the category of theories. We give a theory for the sum of computational effects, which in particular yields Moggi’s exceptions monad transformer and an interactive input/output monad transformer. We further give a theory of the commutative combination of effects, their tensor, which yields Moggi’s side-effects monad transformer. Finally we give a theory of operation transformers, for redefining operations when adding new effects; we derive explicit forms for the operation transformers associated to the above monad transformers.

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We set out to study the consequences of the assumption of types of wellfounded trees in dependent type theories. We do so by investigating the categorical notion of wellfounded tree introduced in [16]. Our main result shows that wellfounded trees allow us to define initial algebras for a wide class of endofunctors on locally cartesian closed categories.

A functorial treatment of factorization structures is presented, under extensive use of well-pointed endofunctors. Actually, so-called weak factorization systems are interpreted as pointed lax indexed endofunctors, and this sheds new light on the correspondence between reflective subcategories and factorization systems. The second part of the paper presents two important factorization structures in the context of pointed endofunctors: concordant-dissonant and inseparable-separable.

. 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 ...

A category may bear many monoidal structures, but (to within a unique isomorphism) only one structure of "category with finite products". To capture such distinctions, we consider on a 2-category those 2-monads for which algebra structure is essentially unique if it exists, giving a precise mathematical definition of "essentially unique" and investigating its consequences. We call such 2-monads property-like. We further consider the more restricted class of fully property-like 2-monads, consisting of those property-like 2-monads for which all 2-cells between (even lax) algebra morphisms are algebra 2-cells. The consideration of lax morphisms leads us to a new characterization of those monads, studied by Kock and Zoberlein, for which "structure is adjoint to unit", and which we now call lax-idempotent 2-monads: both these and their colax-idempotent duals are fully property-like. We end by showing that (at least for finitary 2-monads) the classes of property-likes, fully property-like...

This paper argues that the core of modularity problems is an understanding of how individual components of a large system interact with each other, and that this interaction can be described by a layer structure. We propose a uniform treatment of layers based upon the concept of a monad. The combination of different systems can be described by the coproduct of monads.

We consider the natural combinations of algebraic computational effects such as side-effects, exceptions, interactive input/output, and nondeterminism with continuations. Continuations are not an algebraic effect, but previously developed combinations of algebraic effects given by sum and tensor extend, with effort, to include commonly used combinations of the various algebraic effects with continuations. Continuations also give rise to a third sort of combination, that given by applying the continuations monad transformer to an algebraic effect. We investigate the extent to which sum and tensor extend from algebraic effects to arbitrary monads, and the extent to which Felleisen et al.’s C operator extends from continuations to its combination with algebraic effects. To do all this, we use Dubuc’s characterisation of strong monads in terms of enriched large Lawvere theories.

We give a coalgebraic formulation of timed processes and their operational semantics. We model time by a monoid called a “time domain”, and we model processes by “timed transition systems”, which amount to partial monoid actions of the time domain or, equivalently, coalgebras for an “evolution comonad ” generated by the time domain. All our examples of time domains satisfy a partial closure property, yielding a distributive law of a monad for total monoid actions over the evolution comonad, and hence a distributive law of the evolution comonad over a dual comonad for total monoid actions. We show that the induced coalgebras are exactly timed transition systems with delay operators. We then integrate our coalgebraic formulation of time qua timed transition systems into Turi and Plotkin’s formulation of structural operational semantics in terms of distributive laws. We combine timing with action via the more general study of the combination of two arbitrary sorts of behaviour whose operational semantics may interact. We give a modular account of the operational semantics for a combination induced by that of each of its components. Our study necessitates the investigation of products of comonads. In particular, we characterise when a monad lifts to the category of coalgebras for a product comonad, providing constructions with which one can readily calculate. Key words: time domains, timed transition systems, evolution comonads, delay operators, structural operational semantics, modularity, distributive laws 1