English

Iterated Monoidal Categories

Algebraic Topology 2007-05-23 v1 Category Theory

Abstract

We develop a notion of iterated monoidal category and show that this notion corresponds in a precise way to the notion of iterated loop space. Specifically the group completion of the nerve of such a category is an iterated loop space and free iterated monoidal categories give rise to finite simplicial operads of the same homotopy type as the classical little cubes operads used to parametrize the higher H-space structure of iterated loop spaces. Iterated monoidal categories encompass, as a special case, the notion of braided tensor categories, as used in the theory of quantum groups.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.math/9808082,
  title  = {Iterated Monoidal Categories},
  author = {C. Balteanu and Z. Fiedorowicz and R. Schwaenzl and R. Vogt},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:math/9808082},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

55 pages, 3 PostScript figures