Homotopy theory of stricter $n$-categories
Abstract
We make strict -categories even stricter by requiring they satisfy higher exchange laws governed by Hadzihasanovic's theory of regular directed complexes. We study the first properties of stricter -categories, in particular, we define the Gray product, and prove stability under suspension, which is non-trivial. After reviewing and briefly expanding the theory diagrammatic sets and their associated model structures for -categories, we construct a folk model structure on stricter -categories, show that the walking equivalence coincides with the stricter polygraph generated by the walking equivalence in diagrammatic sets, and finally, that the folk model structure on stricter -categories is right transferred from the diagrammatic model structure along a nerve construction.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2509.26563,
title = {Homotopy theory of stricter $n$-categories},
author = {Clémence Chanavat},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.26563},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
54 pages, comments welcome