Related papers: String diagrams for traced and compact categories …

We define a monoidal semantics for algebraic theories. The basis for the definition is provided by the analysis of the structural rules in the term calculus of algebraic languages. Models are described both explicitly, in a form that…

When formalizing mathematics in (generalized predicative) constructive type theories, or more practically in proof assistants such as Coq or Agda, one is often using setoids (types with explicit equivalence relations). In this note we…

Coherence in a monoidal category asserts that all morphisms built from structural isomorphisms with a fixed source and target coincide. These structural isomorphisms include, in particular, the associators. Linearly distributive categories…

An operad (this paper deals with non-symmetric operads)may be conceived as a partial algebra with a family of insertion operations, Gerstenhaber's circle-i products, which satisfy two kinds of associativity, one of them involving…

In this paper we introduce an open-closed cobordism category with maps to a background space. We identify the classifying space of this category for certain classes of background space. The key ingredient is the homology stability of…

This paper deals with questions relating to Haghverdi and Scott's notion of partially traced categories. The main result is a representation theorem for such categories: we prove that every partially traced category can be faithfully…

Hypergraph categories have been rediscovered at least five times, under various names, including well-supported compact closed categories, dgs-monoidal categories, and dungeon categories. Perhaps the reason they keep being reinvented is…

Tape diagrams provide a graphical representation for arrows of rig categories, namely categories equipped with two monoidal structures, $\oplus$ and $\otimes$, where $\otimes$ distributes over $\oplus$. However, their applicability is…

We show that braided, sylleptic and symmetric monoidal bicategories are precisely the $\mathsf{E}_k$-monoids in the cartesian monoidal $(\infty,1)$-category of bicategories for respective integers $k$. To manage the underlying computations,…

This is a report on aspects of the theory and use of monoidal categories. The first section introduces the main concepts through the example of the category of vector spaces. String notation is explained and shown to lead naturally to a…

We present Trimble's definition of a tetracategory and prove that the spans in (strict) 2-categories with certain limits have the structure of a monoidal tricategory, defined as a one-object tetracategory. We recall some notions of limits…

A general result relating skew monoidal structures and monads is proved. This is applied to quantum categories and bialgebroids. Ordinary categories are monads in the bicategory whose morphisms are spans between sets. Quantum categories…

We show that two constructions yield equivalent braided monoidal categories. The first is topological, based on Legendrian tangles and skein relations, while the second is algebraic, in terms of chain complexes with complete flag and…

We prove a coherence theorem for actions of groups on monoidal categories. As an application we prove coherence for arbitrary braided $G$-crossed categories.

This paper introduces an inherently strict presentation of categories with products, coproducts, or symmetric monoidal products that is inspired by file systems and directories. Rather than using nested binary tuples to combine objects or…

Bimonoidal categories (also known as rig categories) are categories with two monoidal structures, one of which distributes over the other. We formally define sheet diagrams, a graphical calculus for bimonoidal categories that was informally…

Many structures of interest in two-dimensional category theory have aspects that are inherently strict. This strictness is not a limitation, but rather plays a fundamental role in the theory of such structures. For instance, a monoidal…

Given an operad $\mathcal{O}$, we define a notion of weak $\mathcal{O}$-monoids -- which we term $\mathcal{O}$-pseudomonoids -- in a 2-category. In the special case with the 2-category in question is the 2-category $\mathsf{Cat}$ of…

Motivated by the Moore-Segal axioms for an open-closed topological field theory, we consider planar open string topological field theories. We rigorously define a category 2Thick whose objects and morphisms can be thought of as open strings…

We define the affinization of an arbitrary monoidal category $\mathcal{C}$, corresponding to the category of $\mathcal{C}$-diagrams on the cylinder. We also give an alternative characterization in terms of adjoining dot generators to…