$(A_\infty,2)$-categories and relative 2-operads

Abstract

We define the notion of a 2-operad relative to an operad, and prove that the 2-associahedra form a 2-operad relative to the associahedra. Using this structure, we define the notions of an $(A_\infty,2)$-category and $(A_\infty,2)$-algebra in spaces and in chain complexes over a ring. Finally, we show that for any continuous map $A \to X$, we can associate an $(A_\infty,2)$-algebra $\theta(A \to X)$ in $\textsf{Top}$, which specializes to $\theta(\text{pt} \to X) = \Omega^2 X$ and $\theta(A \to \text{pt}) = \Omega A \times \Omega A$.