CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1 plus MathML 2.0 plus SVG 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/2002/04/xhtml-math-svg/xhtml-math-svg-flat.dtd" > <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <title> lax functor in nLab </title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> <meta name="robots" content="index,follow" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /> <link href="/stylesheets/instiki.css?1676280126" media="all" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href="/stylesheets/mathematics.css?1660229990" media="all" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href="/stylesheets/syntax.css?1660229990" media="all" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href="/stylesheets/nlab.css?1676280126" media="all" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/dreampulse/computer-modern-web-font@master/fonts.css"/> <style type="text/css"> h1#pageName, div.info, .newWikiWord a, a.existingWikiWord, .newWikiWord a:hover, [actiontype="toggle"]:hover, #TextileHelp h3 { color: #226622; } a:visited.existingWikiWord { color: #164416; } </style> <style type="text/css"><![CDATA[/*></style> <script src="/javascripts/prototype.js?1660229990" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="/javascripts/effects.js?1660229990" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="/javascripts/dragdrop.js?1660229990" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="/javascripts/controls.js?1660229990" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="/javascripts/application.js?1660229990" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="/javascripts/page_helper.js?1660229990" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="/javascripts/thm_numbering.js?1660229990" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/x-mathjax-config"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script> <link href="https://ncatlab.org/nlab/atom_with_headlines" rel="alternate" title="Atom with headlines" type="application/atom+xml" /> <link href="https://ncatlab.org/nlab/atom_with_content" rel="alternate" title="Atom with full content" type="application/atom+xml" /> <script type="text/javascript"> document.observe("dom:loaded", function() { generateThmNumbers(); }); </script> </head> <body> <div id="Container"> <div id="Content"> <h1 id="pageName"> <span style="float: left; margin: 0.5em 0.25em -0.25em 0"> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="1.872em" height="1.8em" viewBox="0 0 190 181"> <path fill="#226622" d="M72.8 145c-1.6 17.3-15.7 10-23.6 20.2-5.6 7.3 4.8 15 11.4 15 11.5-.2 19-13.4 26.4-20.3 3.3-3 8.2-4 11.2-7.2a14 14 0 0 0 2.9-11.1c-1.4-9.6-12.4-18.6-16.9-27.2-5-9.6-10.7-27.4-24.1-27.7-17.4-.3-.4 26 4.7 30.7 2.4 2.3 5.4 4.1 7.3 6.9 1.6 2.3 2.1 5.8-1 7.2-5.9 2.6-12.4-6.3-15.5-10-8.8-10.6-15.5-23-26.2-31.8-5.2-4.3-11.8-8-18-3.7-7.3 4.9-4.2 12.9.2 18.5a81 81 0 0 0 30.7 23c3.3 1.5 12.8 5.6 10 10.7-2.5 5.2-11.7 3-15.6 1.1-8.4-3.8-24.3-21.3-34.4-13.7-3.5 2.6-2.3 7.6-1.2 11.1 2.8 9 12.2 17.2 20.9 20.5 17.3 6.7 34.3-8 50.8-12.1z"/> <path fill="#a41e32" d="M145.9 121.3c-.2-7.5 0-19.6-4.5-26-5.4-7.5-12.9-1-14.1 5.8-1.4 7.8 2.7 14.1 4.8 21.3 3.4 12 5.8 29-.8 40.1-3.6-6.7-5.2-13-7-20.4-2.1-8.2-12.8-13.2-15.1-1.9-2 9.7 9 21.2 12 30.1 1.2 4 2 8.8 6.4 10.3 6.9 2.3 13.3-4.7 17.7-8.8 12.2-11.5 36.6-20.7 43.4-36.4 6.7-15.7-13.7-14-21.3-7.2-9.1 8-11.9 20.5-23.6 25.1 7.5-23.7 31.8-37.6 38.4-61.4 2-7.3-.8-29.6-13-19.8-14.5 11.6-6.6 37.6-23.3 49.2z"/> <path fill="#193c78" d="M86.3 47.5c0-13-10.2-27.6-5.8-40.4 2.8-8.4 14.1-10.1 17-1 3.8 11.6-.3 26.3-1.8 38 11.7-.7 10.5-16 14.8-24.3 2.1-4.2 5.7-9.1 11-6.7 6 2.7 7.4 9.2 6.6 15.1-2.2 14-12.2 18.8-22.4 27-3.4 2.7-8 6.6-5.9 11.6 2 4.4 7 4.5 10.7 2.8 7.4-3.3 13.4-16.5 21.7-16 14.6.7 12 21.9.9 26.2-5 1.9-10.2 2.3-15.2 3.9-5.8 1.8-9.4 8.7-15.7 8.9-6.1.1-9-6.9-14.3-9-14.4-6-33.3-2-44.7-14.7-3.7-4.2-9.6-12-4.9-17.4 9.3-10.7 28 7.2 35.7 12 2 1.1 11 6.9 11.4 1.1.4-5.2-10-8.2-13.5-10-11.1-5.2-30-15.3-35-27.3-2.5-6 2.8-13.8 9.4-13.6 6.9.2 13.4 7 17.5 12C70.9 34 75 43.8 86.3 47.4z"/> </svg> </span> <span class="webName">nLab</span> lax functor </h1> <div class="navigation"> <span class="skipNav"><a href='#navEnd'>Skip the Navigation Links</a> | </span> <span style="display:inline-block; width: 0.3em;"></span> <a href="/nlab/show/HomePage" accesskey="H" title="Home page">Home Page</a> | <a href="/nlab/all_pages" accesskey="A" title="List of all pages">All Pages</a> | <a href="/nlab/latest_revisions" accesskey="U" title="Latest edits and page creations">Latest Revisions</a> | <a href="https://nforum.ncatlab.org/discussion/11277/#Item_2" title="Discuss this page in its dedicated thread on the nForum" style="color: black">Discuss this page</a> | <form accept-charset="utf-8" action="/nlab/search" id="navigationSearchForm" method="get"> <fieldset class="search"><input type="text" id="searchField" name="query" value="Search" style="display:inline-block; float: left;" onfocus="this.value == 'Search' ? this.value = '' : true" onblur="this.value == '' ? this.value = 'Search' : true" /></fieldset> </form> <span id='navEnd'></span> </div> <div id="revision"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <head><meta http-equiv="Content-type" content="application/xhtml+xml;charset=utf-8" /><title>Contents</title></head> <body> <div class="rightHandSide"> <div class="toc clickDown" tabindex="0"> <h3 id="context">Context</h3> <h4 id="2category_theory">2-Category theory</h4> <div class="hide"><div> <p><strong><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-category+theory">2-category theory</a></strong></p> <p><strong>Definitions</strong></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-category">2-category</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/strict+2-category">strict 2-category</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/bicategory">bicategory</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/enriched+bicategory">enriched bicategory</a></p> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Transfors between 2-categories</strong></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-functor">2-functor</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/pseudofunctor">pseudofunctor</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/lax+functor">lax functor</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/equivalence+of+2-categories">equivalence of 2-categories</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-natural+transformation">2-natural transformation</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/lax+natural+transformation">lax natural transformation</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/icon">icon</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/modification">modification</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Yoneda+lemma+for+bicategories">Yoneda lemma for bicategories</a></p> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Morphisms in 2-categories</strong></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/fully+faithful+morphism">fully faithful morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/faithful+morphism">faithful morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/conservative+morphism">conservative morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/pseudomonic+morphism">pseudomonic morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/discrete+morphism">discrete morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/eso+morphism">eso morphism</a></p> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Structures in 2-categories</strong></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/adjunction">adjunction</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/mate">mate</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/monad">monad</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/cartesian+object">cartesian object</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/fibration+in+a+2-category">fibration in a 2-category</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/codiscrete+cofibration">codiscrete cofibration</a></p> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Limits in 2-categories</strong></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-limit">2-limit</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-pullback">2-pullback</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/comma+object">comma object</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/inserter">inserter</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/inverter">inverter</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/equifier">equifier</a></p> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Structures on 2-categories</strong></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-monad">2-monad</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/lax-idempotent+2-monad">lax-idempotent 2-monad</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/pseudomonad">pseudomonad</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/pseudoalgebra+for+a+2-monad">pseudoalgebra for a 2-monad</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/monoidal+2-category">monoidal 2-category</a></p> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/cartesian+bicategory">cartesian bicategory</a></li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Gray+tensor+product">Gray tensor product</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/proarrow+equipment">proarrow equipment</a></p> </li> </ul> </div></div> <h4 id="higher_category_theory">Higher category theory</h4> <div class="hide"><div> <p><strong><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/higher+category+theory">higher category theory</a></strong></p> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/category+theory">category theory</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/homotopy+theory">homotopy theory</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="basic_concepts">Basic concepts</h2> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/k-morphism">k-morphism</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/coherence">coherence</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/looping+and+delooping">looping and delooping</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/stabilization">looping and suspension</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="basic_theorems">Basic theorems</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/homotopy+hypothesis">homotopy hypothesis</a>-theorem</p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/delooping+hypothesis">delooping hypothesis</a>-theorem</p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/periodic+table">periodic table</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/stabilization+hypothesis">stabilization hypothesis</a>-theorem</p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/michaelshulman/show/exactness+hypothesis">exactness hypothesis</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/holographic+principle+of+higher+category+theory">holographic principle</a></p> </li> </ul> <h2 id="applications">Applications</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/applications+of+%28higher%29+category+theory">applications of (higher) category theory</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/higher+category+theory+and+physics">higher category theory and physics</a></p> </li> </ul> <h2 id="models">Models</h2> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28n%2Cr%29-category">(n,r)-category</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Theta-space">Theta-space</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%E2%88%9E-category">∞-category</a>/<a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%E2%88%9E-category">∞-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28%E2%88%9E%2Cn%29-category">(∞,n)-category</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/n-fold+complete+Segal+space">n-fold complete Segal space</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28%E2%88%9E%2C2%29-category">(∞,2)-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-category">(∞,1)-category</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/quasi-category">quasi-category</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/algebraic+quasi-category">algebraic quasi-category</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/simplicially+enriched+category">simplicially enriched category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/complete+Segal+space">complete Segal space</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/model+category">model category</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28%E2%88%9E%2C0%29-category">(∞,0)-category</a>/<a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%E2%88%9E-groupoid">∞-groupoid</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Kan+complex">Kan complex</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/algebraic+Kan+complex">algebraic Kan complex</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/simplicial+T-complex">simplicial T-complex</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28%E2%88%9E%2CZ%29-category">(∞,Z)-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/n-category">n-category</a> = (n,n)-category <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-category">2-category</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%282%2C1%29-category">(2,1)-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/1-category">1-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/0-category">0-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28-1%29-category">(-1)-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28-2%29-category">(-2)-category</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/n-poset">n-poset</a> = <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/n-poset">(n-1,n)-category</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/poset">poset</a> = <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%280%2C1%29-category">(0,1)-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-poset">2-poset</a> = <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%281%2C2%29-category">(1,2)-category</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/n-groupoid">n-groupoid</a> = (n,0)-category <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-groupoid">2-groupoid</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/3-groupoid">3-groupoid</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/categorification">categorification</a>/<a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/decategorification">decategorification</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/geometric+definition+of+higher+category">geometric definition of higher category</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Kan+complex">Kan complex</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/quasi-category">quasi-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/simplicial+model+for+weak+%E2%88%9E-categories">simplicial model for weak ∞-categories</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/complicial+set">complicial set</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/weak+complicial+set">weak complicial set</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/algebraic+definition+of+higher+category">algebraic definition of higher category</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/bicategory">bicategory</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/bigroupoid">bigroupoid</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/tricategory">tricategory</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/tetracategory">tetracategory</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/strict+%E2%88%9E-category">strict ∞-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Batanin+%E2%88%9E-category">Batanin ∞-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Trimble+n-category">Trimble ∞-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Grothendieck-Maltsiniotis+%E2%88%9E-categories">Grothendieck-Maltsiniotis ∞-categories</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/stable+homotopy+theory">stable homotopy theory</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/symmetric+monoidal+category">symmetric monoidal category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/symmetric+monoidal+%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-category">symmetric monoidal (∞,1)-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/stable+%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-category">stable (∞,1)-category</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/dg-category">dg-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/A-%E2%88%9E+category">A-∞ category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/triangulated+category">triangulated category</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2 id="morphisms">Morphisms</h2> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/k-morphism">k-morphism</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-morphism">2-morphism</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/transfor">transfor</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/natural+transformation">natural transformation</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/modification">modification</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2 id="functors">Functors</h2> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/functor">functor</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-functor">2-functor</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/pseudofunctor">pseudofunctor</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/lax+functor">lax functor</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-functor">(∞,1)-functor</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="universal_constructions">Universal constructions</h2> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-limit">2-limit</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/adjoint+%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-functor">(∞,1)-adjunction</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-Kan+extension">(∞,1)-Kan extension</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/limit+in+a+quasi-category">(∞,1)-limit</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-Grothendieck+construction">(∞,1)-Grothendieck construction</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="extra_properties_and_structure">Extra properties and structure</h2> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/cosmic+cube">cosmic cube</a> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/k-tuply+monoidal+n-category">k-tuply monoidal n-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/strict+%E2%88%9E-category">strict ∞-category</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/strict+%E2%88%9E-groupoid">strict ∞-groupoid</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/stable+%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-category">stable (∞,1)-category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-topos">(∞,1)-topos</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="1categorical_presentations">1-categorical presentations</h2> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/homotopical+category">homotopical category</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/model+category">model category theory</a></li> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/enriched+category+theory">enriched category theory</a></li> </ul> </div></div> </div> </div> <h1 id="contents">Contents</h1> <div class='maruku_toc'> <ul> <li><a href='#idea'>Idea</a></li> <li><a href='#definition'>Definition</a></li> <li><a href='#properties'>Properties</a></li> <li><a href='#examples'>Examples</a></li> <li><a href='#see_also'>See also</a></li> <li><a href='#references'>References</a></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="idea">Idea</h2> <p>A <strong>lax functor</strong> or <strong>lax <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">n</annotation></semantics></math>-<a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/n-functor">functor</a></strong> is a morphism of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">n</annotation></semantics></math>-<a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/n-category">categories</a> that is allowed to have structural cells – compositors, associators, etc – that need not be invertible (not even <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/weak+inverse">weakly</a>).</p> <p>This is to distinguish from <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/pseudofunctor">pseudofunctor</a> for which all these cells are required to be <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/equivalences">equivalences</a>.</p> <p>This means that the definition of lax functor involves a choice of orientation of these structural cells which is not visible for pseudofunctors. The choice is such that cells map composites of images to images of composite. With the opposite choice one speaks of an <strong>oplax</strong> (or sometimes <strong>colax</strong>) functor<strong>.</strong></p> <p>The term lax functor can be used for <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">n</annotation></semantics></math>-functors <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>F</mi><mo>:</mo><mi>C</mi><mo>→</mo><mi>D</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">F : C \to D</annotation></semantics></math> whose domain <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">C</annotation></semantics></math> is an ordinary <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/category">category</a> (regarded as an <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">n</annotation></semantics></math>-category with only trivial higher morphisms), while the codomain <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>D</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">D</annotation></semantics></math> is often taken to be a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-category">2-category</a>.</p> <p>A <strong>normal lax functor</strong> (sometimes called <em>strictly unitary</em>) preserves identities strictly.</p> <p>There exist a similar concept for <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/double+category">double</a> and <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/multiple+categories">multiple categories</a>.</p> <h2 id="definition">Definition</h2> <p>See the definition at <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/pseudofunctor">pseudofunctor</a>, and let the <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/natural+isomorphisms">natural isomorphisms</a> in that definition be merely <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/natural+transformations">natural transformations</a>.</p> <h2 id="properties">Properties</h2> <p>One of the most important properties is that lax functors compose associatively and unitally: we have a category <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mstyle mathvariant="bold"><mi>BiCat</mi></mstyle></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbf{BiCat}</annotation></semantics></math> with <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/bicategories">bicategories</a> as objects and lax functors as morphisms. If we add <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/icons">icons</a> as 2-cells, this becomes a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-category">2-category</a>.</p> <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2> <ul> <li> <p>Any <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/lax+monoidal+functor">lax monoidal functor</a> gives an example. In fact <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/monoidal+categories">monoidal categories</a> can be presented as bicategories with one object (see <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/delooping">delooping</a>), and thus a lax functor <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mstyle mathvariant="bold"><mi>B</mi></mstyle><mi>M</mi><mo>→</mo><mstyle mathvariant="bold"><mi>B</mi></mstyle><mi>N</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbf{B}M \to \mathbf{B} N</annotation></semantics></math> corresponds to a lax monoidal functor <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>M</mi><mo>→</mo><mi>N</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">M \to N</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> </li> <li> <p>For <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>D</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">D</annotation></semantics></math> a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/bicategory">bicategory</a>, lax functors <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>F</mi><mo>:</mo><mo>*</mo><mo>→</mo><mi>D</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">F : {*} \to D</annotation></semantics></math> from the <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/point">point</a> category to <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>D</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">D</annotation></semantics></math> are equivalent to <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/monad">monad</a>s in <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>D</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">D</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> <p>The compositor of the lax functor is the monad product, the unitor is the monad unit.</p> <ul> <li>So in particular for <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">V</annotation></semantics></math> a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/monoidal+category">monoidal category</a> and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mstyle mathvariant="bold"><mi>B</mi></mstyle><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbf{B}V</annotation></semantics></math> its one-object <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/delooping">delooping</a> <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/bicategory">bicategory</a>, lax functors <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mo>*</mo><mo>→</mo><mstyle mathvariant="bold"><mi>B</mi></mstyle><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{*} \to \mathbf{B}V</annotation></semantics></math> are equivalent to <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/monoid">monoid</a>s in <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">V</annotation></semantics></math>.</li> </ul> </li> <li> <p>Similarly, oplax functors <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mo>*</mo><mo>→</mo><mi>D</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{*} \to D</annotation></semantics></math> are equivalent to <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/comonad">comonad</a>s in <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>D</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">D</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> </li> <li> <p>If <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">C</annotation></semantics></math> is the <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/codiscrete+category">codiscrete category</a> on a set <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>S</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">S</annotation></semantics></math>, and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>D</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">D</annotation></semantics></math> is a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/bicategory">bicategory</a>, lax functors <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>F</mi><mo>:</mo><mi>C</mi><mo>→</mo><mi>D</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">F : C \to D</annotation></semantics></math> are the same as categories enriched in <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>D</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">D</annotation></semantics></math> having <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>S</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">S</annotation></semantics></math> as their set of objects.</p> <ul> <li> <p>In particular, if <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi><mo>=</mo><mo>*</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">C = {*}</annotation></semantics></math>, then this example reduces to the first one.</p> </li> <li> <p>Another special case arises when <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>D</mi><mo>=</mo><mstyle mathvariant="bold"><mi>B</mi></mstyle><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">D = \mathbf{B}V</annotation></semantics></math> for some monoidal category <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">V</annotation></semantics></math>. Then lax functors <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>F</mi><mo>:</mo><mi>C</mi><mo>→</mo><mi>D</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">F : C \to D</annotation></semantics></math> are the same as categories enriched in the monoidal category <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">V</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p>It makes sense to ask that a functor is lax <em>and</em> oplax in a compatible way such that <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mo>*</mo><mo>→</mo><mi>D</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{*} \to D</annotation></semantics></math> yields <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Frobenius+algebra">Frobenius</a> monads.</p> <p>This is of relevance in <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/conformal+field+theory">conformal field theory</a> where Frobenius algebra objects in <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/modular+tensor+category">modular tensor categories</a> and bimodules over them play a central role.</p> <p>Some old remarks on this case are in <a href="http://www.math.uni-hamburg.de/home/schreiber/LaxFunc.pdf">Note on lax functors and bimodules</a>.</p> <p>This relation between lax-oplax functors and <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/conformal+field+theory">conformal field theory</a> was developed in detail in</p> <ul> <li>Liang Kong, Ingo Runkel, <em>Cardy algebras and sewing constraints, I</em> (<a href="http://arxiv.org/abs/0807.3356">arXiv</a>)</li> </ul> <p>A general discussion of lax-oplax functors is in section 2.1 there.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="query"> <p>Isn’t it odd not to require any extra condition at all on the coherence morphisms? I would have expected a definition where they are required to be split epi, or require that the codomain be a subobject of the domain. Is there a name for something like that?</p> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Mike+Shulman">Mike Shulman</a>: One could certainly add that as a condition, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone having a use for it, or giving it a name. The interesting examples listed above (and others) don’t use any such condition.</p> </div> <h2 id="see_also">See also</h2> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/lax+double+functor">lax double functor</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ul> <li id="JohnsonYau20"> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Niles+Johnson">Niles Johnson</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Donald+Yau">Donald Yau</a>, Section 4.1 of: <em>2-Dimensional Categories</em>, Oxford University Press 2021 (<a href="http://arxiv.org/abs/2002.06055">arXiv:2002.06055</a>, <a href="https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/oso/9780198871378.001.0001/oso-9780198871378">doi:10.1093/oso/9780198871378.001.0001</a>)</p> </li> <li> <p>R. Street, <em>Two constructions on lax functors</em>, Cahiers de Topologie et Géométrie Différentielle Catégoriques, Volume 13 (1972) no. 3 , p. 217-264 <a href="http://www.numdam.org/item?id=CTGDC_1972__13_3_217_0">numdam</a></p> </li> </ul> </body></html> </div> <div class="revisedby"> <p> Last revised on December 20, 2024 at 12:29:41. See the <a href="/nlab/history/lax+functor" style="color: #005c19">history</a> of this page for a list of all contributions to it. </p> </div> <div class="navigation navfoot"> <a href="/nlab/edit/lax+functor" accesskey="E" class="navlink" id="edit" rel="nofollow">Edit</a><a href="https://nforum.ncatlab.org/discussion/11277/#Item_2">Discuss</a><span class="backintime"><a href="/nlab/revision/lax+functor/24" accesskey="B" class="navlinkbackintime" id="to_previous_revision" rel="nofollow">Previous revision</a></span><a href="/nlab/show/diff/lax+functor" accesskey="C" class="navlink" id="see_changes" rel="nofollow">Changes from previous revision</a><a href="/nlab/history/lax+functor" accesskey="S" class="navlink" id="history" rel="nofollow">History (24 revisions)</a> <a href="/nlab/show/lax+functor/cite" style="color: black">Cite</a> <a href="/nlab/print/lax+functor" accesskey="p" id="view_print" rel="nofollow">Print</a> <a href="/nlab/source/lax+functor" id="view_source" rel="nofollow">Source</a> </div> </div>  </div>  </body> </html>