ScalingStacks

9. The connectedness of the space of theories[0MLX]

In this section, we will prove:

[0MJH]

Theorem 9.1 (Versal is Universal). The moduli space of theories of (∞,n)(\infty,n)-categories Thy(∞,n)\thy_{(\infty,n)} is connected.

First we introduce a lemma.

[0MJI]

Lemma 9.2. Suppose π’Ÿ\mathcal{D} a small quasicategory, and suppose π’ž\mathcal{C} a locally small quasicategory that admits small colimits. Suppose g:π’Ÿβ†’π’žg\colon\mathcal{D}\to\mathcal{C} a dense functor. For any quasicategory β„°\mathcal{E} admitting all small colimits, and let FunL⁑(π’ž,β„°)βŠ‚Fun⁑(π’ž,β„°)\Fun^{\mathrm{L}}(\mathcal{C},\mathcal{E})\subset\Fun(\mathcal{C},\mathcal{E}) denote the full sub-quasicategory consisting of those functors that preserve small colimits. Then the functor Fun⁑(π’ž,β„°)β†’Fun⁑(π’Ÿ,β„°)\Fun(\mathcal{C},\mathcal{E})\to\Fun(\mathcal{D},\mathcal{E}) induced by gg restricts to a fully faithful functor

FunL⁑(π’ž,β„°)β†’Fun⁑(π’Ÿ,β„°).\Fun^{\mathrm{L}}(\mathcal{C},\mathcal{E})\to\Fun(\mathcal{D},\mathcal{E}).
[0MJJ]

Proof. The ∞\infty-category π’ž\mathcal{C} is a localization of 𝒫⁑(π’Ÿ)\pre(\mathcal{D}), whence we obtain a fully faithful embedding FunL⁑(π’ž,β„°)β†’FunL⁑(𝒫⁑(π’Ÿ),β„°)\Fun^{\mathrm{L}}(\mathcal{C},\mathcal{E})\to\Fun^{\mathrm{L}}(\pre(\mathcal{D}),\mathcal{E}). Now by [28, 5.1.5.6], left Kan extension induces an equivalence Fun⁑(π’Ÿ,β„°)≃FunL⁑(𝒫⁑(π’Ÿ),β„°)\Fun(\mathcal{D},\mathcal{E})\simeq\Fun^{\mathrm{L}}(\pre(\mathcal{D}),\mathcal{E}). See [28, 5.5.4.20]. ∎

[0MJK]

Proof of TheoremΒ 9.1. Suppose that (π’ž,f)(\mathcal{C},f) and (π’Ÿ,g)(\mathcal{D},g) are each theories of (∞,n)(\infty,n)-categories; that is, they each satisfy axioms C.1-5. By the versality axiom C.5 we have left adjoints

L1:π’žβ†’π’ŸandL2:π’Ÿβ†’π’žL_{1}\colon\mathcal{C}\to\mathcal{D}\qquad\textrm{and}\qquad L_{2}\colon\mathcal{D}\to\mathcal{C}

and natural transformations Ξ·1:L1∘fβ†’g\eta_{1}\colon L_{1}\circ f\to g and Ξ·2:L2∘gβ†’f\eta_{2}\colon L_{2}\circ g\to f such that Ξ·i|𝔾n\eta_{i}|_{\mathbb{G}_{n}} is an equivalence. Then the theorem follows provided that we demonstrate that both L1∘L2L_{1}\circ L_{2} and L2∘L1L_{2}\circ L_{1} are autoequivalences. We will show this for L2∘L1L_{2}\circ L_{1}. The argument for L1∘L2L_{1}\circ L_{2} is identical.

Thus E:=L2∘L1:π’žβ†’π’žE\mathrel{\mathop{:}}=L_{2}\circ L_{1}:\mathcal{C}\to\mathcal{C} is a colimit preserving endofunctor along with a natural transformation Ξ·2∘L2​(Ξ·1):E∘fβ†’f\eta_{2}\circ L_{2}(\eta_{1})\colon E\circ f\to f. Since ff is dense, LemmaΒ 9.2 ensures that there is a natural transformation Ξ·:Eβ†’id\eta\colon E\to\id whose composition with ff is Ξ·2∘L2​(Ξ·1)\eta_{2}\circ L_{2}(\eta_{1}). To see that Ξ·\eta is an equivalence, let β„°βŠ†π’ž\mathcal{E}\subseteq\mathcal{C} be the full subcategory spanned by those XX such that Ξ·X\eta_{X} is an equivalence. Since EE preserves colimits, β„°\mathcal{E} is stable under colimits, and since Ξ·2∘L2​(Ξ·1)|𝔾n\eta_{2}\circ L_{2}(\eta_{1})|_{\mathbb{G}_{n}} is an equivalence, it follows from (C.2) that β„°=π’ž\mathcal{E}=\mathcal{C}. ∎

Original mathematics by the credited authors. Source collection and HTML conversion remain in progress.

Clark Barwick, Christopher Schommer-Pries

Original source: arXiv:1112.0040v6

Original source Β· 1112.0040v6