Infinitesimal 2-braidings and differential crossed modules

Abstract

We categorify the notion of an infinitesimal braiding in a linear strict symmetric monoidal category, leading to the notion of a (strict) infinitesimal 2-braiding in a linear symmetric strict monoidal 2-category. We describe the associated categorification of the 4-term relation, leading to six categorified relations. We prove that any infinitesimal 2-braiding gives rise to a flat and fake flat 2-connection in the configuration space of $n$ particles in the complex plane, hence to a categorification of the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov connection. We discuss infinitesimal 2-braidings in a 2-category naturally assigned to every differential crossed module, leading to the notion of a quasi-invariant tensor in a differential crossed module. Finally we prove that quasi-invariant tensors exist in the differential crossed module associated to the String Lie-2-algebra.