English

Weak $\omega$-categories as $\omega$-hypergraphs

Category Theory 2007-05-23 v1 Logic

Abstract

In this paper, firstly, we introduce a higher-dimensional analogue of hypergraphs, namely ω\omega-hypergraphs. This notion is thoroughly flexible because unlike ordinary ω\omega-graphs, an n-dimensional edge called an n-cell has many sources and targets. Moreover, cells have polarity, with which pasting of cells is implicitly defined. As examples, we also give some known structures in terms of ω\omega-hypergraphs. Then we specify a special type of ω\omega-hypergraph, namely directed ω\omega-hypergraphs, which are made of cells with direction. Finally, besed on them, we construct our weak ω\omega-categories. It is an ω\omega-dimensional variant of the weak n-categoreis given by Baez and Dolan. We introduce ω\omega-identical, ω\omega-invertible and ω\omega-universal cells instead of universality and balancedness of Baez-Dolan. The whole process of our definition is in parallel with the way of regarding categories as graphs with composition and identities.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.math/0003137,
  title  = {Weak $\omega$-categories as $\omega$-hypergraphs},
  author = {Hiroyuki Miyoshi and Toru Tsujishita},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:math/0003137},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

26 pages, 8 figures, written in Nov 1999 and adjusted to arXiv.org in Mar 2000; it is based on the first author's talk at CT99 in Jul 1999