Difference $2$-algebras and difference $A_\infty$-algebras

A difference operator on an associative algebra is an algebraic abstraction of the forward and backward difference operators. In this paper, we first introduce difference operators on associative $2$-algebras and consider the category of difference associative $2$-algebras. Subsequently, we also introduce difference operators on a given $A_\infty$-algebra in terms of their Maurer-Cartan characterization. We prove that the category of difference associative $2$-algebras and the category of $2$-term difference $A_\infty$-algebras are equivalent. We characterize skeletal and strict $2$-term difference $A_\infty$-algebras by respectively third cocycles and crossed modules of difference algebras. Finally, we define the notion of a $2$-term bimodule up to homotopy over a difference algebra, which in turn yields a construction of a $2$-term difference $A_\infty$-algebra.