An Introduction to n-Categories

dc.creatorBaez, John C.
dc.date1997-05-13
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T09:17:33Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T09:17:33Z
dc.descriptionAn n-category is some sort of algebraic structure consisting of objects, morphisms between objects, 2-morphisms between morphisms, and so on up to n-morphisms, together with various ways of composing them. We survey various concepts of n-category, with an emphasis on `weak' n-categories, in which all rules governing the composition of j-morphisms hold only up to equivalence. (An n-morphism is an equivalence if it is invertible, while a j-morphism for j < n is an equivalence if it is invertible up to a (j+1)-morphism that is an equivalence.) We discuss applications of weak n-categories to various subjects including homotopy theory and topological quantum field theory, and review the definition of weak n-categories recently proposed by Dolan and the author.
dc.description34 pages LaTeX, 30 encapsulated Postscript figures, 2 style files
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/q-alg/9705009
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/q-alg/9705009
dc.identifier7th Conference on Category Theory and Computer Science, eds. E. Moggi and G. Rosolini, Lecture Notes in Computer Science vol. 1290, Springer, Berlin, 1997, pp. 1-33
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/153707
dc.subjectQuantum Algebra
dc.subjectGeneral Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
dc.titleAn Introduction to n-Categories
dc.typetext

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