In this paper, we state the notion of morphisms in the category of abelian crossed modules and prove that this category is equivalent to the category of strict Picard categories and regular symmetric monoidal functors. The theory of obstructions for symmetric monoidal functors and symmetric cohomology groups are applied to show a treatment of the group extension problem of the type of an abelian crossed module.
We provide definitions for strict involutive higher categories (a vertical categorification of dagger categories), strict higher C*-categories and higher Fell bundles (over arbitrary involutive higher topological categories). We put forward a proposal for a relaxed form of the exchange property for higher (C*)-categories that avoids the Eckmann-Hilton collapse and hence allows the construction of explicit non-trivial non-commutative examples arising from the study of hypermatrices and hyper-C*-algebras, here defined. Alternatives to the usual globular and cubical settings for strict higher categories are also explored. Applications of these non-commutative higher C*-categories are envisaged in the study of morphisms in non-commutative geometry and in the algebraic formulation of relational quantum theory.
Picard 2-categories are symmetric monoidal 2-categories with invertible 0-, 1-, and 2-cells. The classifying space of a Picard 2-category $mathcal{D}$ is an infinite loop space, the zeroth space of the $K$-theory spectrum $Kmathcal{D}$. This spectrum has stable homotopy groups concentrated in levels 0, 1, and 2. In this paper, we describe part of the Postnikov data of $Kmathcal{D}$ in terms of categorical structure. We use this to show that there is no strict skeletal Picard 2-category whose $K$-theory realizes the 2-truncation of the sphere spectrum. As part of the proof, we construct a categorical suspension, producing a Picard 2-category $Sigma C$ from a Picard 1-category $C$, and show that it commutes with $K$-theory in that $KSigma C$ is stably equivalent to $Sigma K C$.
We classify various types of graded extensions of a finite braided tensor category $cal B$ in terms of its $2$-categorical Picard groups. In particular, we prove that braided extensions of $cal B$ by a finite group $A$ correspond to braided monoidal $2$-functors from $A$ to the braided $2$-categorical Picard group of $cal B$ (consisting of invertible central $cal B$-module categories). Such functors can be expressed in terms of the Eilnberg-Mac~Lane cohomology. We describe in detail braided $2$-categorical Picard groups of symmetric fusion categories and of pointed braided fusion categories.
We analyze the action of the Brauer-Picard group of a pointed fusion category on the set of Lagrangian subcategories of its center. Using this action we compute the Brauer-Picard groups of pointed fusion categories associated to several classical finite groups. As an application, we construct new examples of weakly group-theoretical fusion categories.
Each object of any abelian model category has a canonical resolution as described in this article. When the model structure is hereditary we show how morphism sets in the associated homotopy category may be realized as cohomology groups computed from these resolutions. We also give an alternative description of the morphism sets in terms of Yoneda Ext groups.