English

Two-variable fibrations, factorisation systems and $\infty$-categories of spans

Category Theory 2023-09-21 v3 Algebraic Topology

Abstract

We prove a universal property for \infty-categories of spans in the generality of Barwick's adequate triples, explicitly describe the cocartesian fibration corresponding to the span functor, and show that the latter restricts to a self-equivalence on the class of orthogonal adequate triples, which we introduce for this purpose. As applications of the machinery we develop we give a quick proof of Barwick's unfurling theorem, show that an orthogonal factorisation system arises from a cartesian fibration if and only if it forms an adequate triple (generalising work of Lanari), extend the description of dual (co)cartesian fibrations by Barwick, Glasman and Nardin to two-variable fibrations, explicitly describe parametrised adjoints (extending work of Torii), identify the orthofibration classifying the mapping category functor of an (,2)(\infty,2)-category (building on work of Abell\'an Garcia and Stern), formally identify the unstraightenings of the identity functor on the \infty-category of \infty-categories with the (op)lax under-categories of a point, and deduce a certain naturality property of the Yoneda embedding (answering a question of Clausen).

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2011.11042,
  title  = {Two-variable fibrations, factorisation systems and $\infty$-categories of spans},
  author = {Rune Haugseng and Fabian Hebestreit and Sil Linskens and Joost Nuiten},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2011.11042},
  year   = {2023}
}

Comments

62 pages, v3: minor revision following a referee report

R2 v1 2026-06-23T20:25:41.817Z