English

Homotopy Transition Cocycles

Algebraic Topology 2007-05-23 v2 Algebraic Geometry Category Theory

Abstract

For locally homotopy trivial fibrations, one can define transition functions g\dab:U\daU\dbH=H(F) g\dab : U\da\cap U\db \to H = H(F) where HH is the monoid of homotopy equivalences of FF to itself but, instead of the cocycle condition, one obtains only that g\dabg\dbgamg\dab g\dbgam is homotopic to g\dagamg\dagam as a map of U\daU\dbU\dgamU\da\cap U\db\cap U\dgam into HH. Moreover on multiple intersections, higher homotopies arise and are relevant to classifying the fibration. The full theory was worked out by the first author in his 1965 Notre Dame thesis \cite{wirth:diss}. Here we present it using language that has been developed in the interim. We also show how this points a direction `on beyond gerbes'.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.math/0609220,
  title  = {Homotopy Transition Cocycles},
  author = {James Wirth and Jim Stasheff},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:math/0609220},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

14 pages, 4 figures