Not signed in (Sign In)

Not signed in

Want to take part in these discussions? Sign in if you have an account, or apply for one below

  • Sign in using OpenID

Site Tag Cloud

2-category 2-category-theory abelian-categories adjoint algebra algebraic algebraic-geometry algebraic-topology analysis analytic-geometry arithmetic arithmetic-geometry book bundles calculus categorical categories category category-theory chern-weil-theory cohesion cohesive-homotopy-type-theory cohomology colimits combinatorics complex complex-geometry computable-mathematics computer-science constructive cosmology definitions deformation-theory descent diagrams differential differential-cohomology differential-equations differential-geometry digraphs duality elliptic-cohomology enriched fibration foundation foundations functional-analysis functor gauge-theory gebra geometric-quantization geometry graph graphs gravity grothendieck group group-theory harmonic-analysis higher higher-algebra higher-category-theory higher-differential-geometry higher-geometry higher-lie-theory higher-topos-theory homological homological-algebra homotopy homotopy-theory homotopy-type-theory index-theory integration integration-theory k-theory lie-theory limits linear linear-algebra locale localization logic mathematics measure-theory modal modal-logic model model-category-theory monad monads monoidal monoidal-category-theory morphism motives motivic-cohomology nforum nlab noncommutative noncommutative-geometry number-theory of operads operator operator-algebra order-theory pages pasting philosophy physics pro-object probability probability-theory quantization quantum quantum-field quantum-field-theory quantum-mechanics quantum-physics quantum-theory question representation representation-theory riemannian-geometry scheme schemes set set-theory sheaf simplicial space spin-geometry stable-homotopy-theory stack string string-theory superalgebra supergeometry svg symplectic-geometry synthetic-differential-geometry terminology theory topology topos topos-theory tqft type type-theory universal variational-calculus

Vanilla 1.1.10 is a product of Lussumo. More Information: Documentation, Community Support.

Welcome to nForum
If you want to take part in these discussions either sign in now (if you have an account), apply for one now (if you don't).
    • CommentRowNumber1.
    • CommentAuthorUrs
    • CommentTimeOct 7th 2010

    started to (re)structure the entry higher category theory roughly along the lines of the new structure at category theory. But for the moment many sections just contain link lists.

  1. Removed an incorrect statement about the relation between (,)(\infty,\infty)-categories of cobordisms and cobordism spectra.

    Rune Haugseng

    diff, v72, current

    • CommentRowNumber3.
    • CommentAuthorTim_Porter
    • CommentTimeApr 3rd 2019
    • (edited Apr 3rd 2019)

    I removed a somewhat contentious wording. The main driving force for the development of higher category theory is not possible applications in extended QFT although that has fed in some interesting conjectures that have shaped the way the theory grew.

    diff, v73, current

    • CommentRowNumber4.
    • CommentAuthorUrs
    • CommentTimeApr 3rd 2019
    • (edited Apr 3rd 2019)

    Seems to me equally contentious to remove it. It’s easier to forget than to remember, way back, John Roberts introduced ω\omega-categories for purposes of AQFT (see here).

    • CommentRowNumber5.
    • CommentAuthorTim_Porter
    • CommentTimeApr 3rd 2019

    Many people developed their theory with regard to purely categorical aspects or to links with topology or algebraic geometry. There were several breakthroughs, one being from earlier with Boardman and Vogt, followed on by Cordier with weak Kan complexes and, of course, Street’s orientals were important and owed inspiration to John Roberts. The page you link to, Urs, makes the point about Ronnie’s work, but all the work by researchers such as Batanin, Makkai, Lenster, Cheng, Verity, Joyal, is independent of TQFT ideas and even John Baez and Jim Dolan is only distantly linked to extended QFTs. The homotopy hypothesis etc dates from interpretations of Grothendieck’s pursuing stacks which was a very important input to the development. I am not suggesting there was no link with TQFTs merely that very few of those people I mention and who were very important in the development of the theory of higher categories, would have mentioned extended TQFTs as a dominant inspiration. John Roberts work was very important as motivation for Ross Street, but mostly because of the link with non-Abelian cohomology. Much later, of course, Lurie worked both on quasi-categories and on cobordisms but that was not an early motivation.

    • CommentRowNumber6.
    • CommentAuthorTodd_Trimble
    • CommentTimeApr 6th 2019

    The wording that Tim removed seemed inoffensive to me, but if the problem was with “to a large extent”, then I think “one of the driving forces” would be a reasonable replacement (and incontestable I believe).

    Other driving forces could be added in as one sees fit.

    • CommentRowNumber7.
    • CommentAuthorMike Shulman
    • CommentTimeApr 9th 2019

    Agreed with “one of the driving forces”.

    • CommentRowNumber8.
    • CommentAuthorTim_Porter
    • CommentTimeApr 9th 2019

    I’m ok with that.

    • CommentRowNumber9.
    • CommentAuthorTodd_Trimble
    • CommentTimeApr 10th 2019

    Put in “one of the driving forces” etc.

    diff, v75, current

    • CommentRowNumber10.
    • CommentAuthorGuest
    • CommentTimeFeb 21st 2020
    1. Idea
    "These combinatorial or algebraic models are known as n-categories or ... as ∞-categories or ∞-categories, or, ..."

    What is the difference between an ∞-category and an ∞-category?

    Cordially,
    Joaquin Miller
    • CommentRowNumber11.
    • CommentAuthorDavidRoberts
    • CommentTimeFeb 21st 2020

    Might have been a side-wide programmatic edit via a script that messed things up.

    • CommentRowNumber12.
    • CommentAuthorDavid_Corfield
    • CommentTimeFeb 21st 2020

    One of them used to be ω-categories, so I’ve changed back to that.

    diff, v77, current

    • CommentRowNumber13.
    • CommentAuthorChristoph Dorn
    • CommentTimeMar 15th 2023

    added perspective of higher categories as combinatorial models of ’abstract higher structures’ (prompted by a comment by David Corfield in the thread on ’geometric n-category’)

    please feel free to rewrite

    diff, v79, current