arXiv subjects

Christian Sattler

Publications and source records attributed to Christian Sattler.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Directed univalence for simplicial objects in an $\infty$-topos

A fundamental component of homotopy type theory, a synthetic theory of $\infty$-groupoids, is Voevodsky's univalence axiom. Univalence characterizes the identity types in the universal fibration, a classifier for small type families: identity types in the universe are equivalent to types of equivalences. The directed univalence axiom plays a similar foundational role in simplicial type theory, a synthetic theory of $\infty$-categories. In its original form, which does not include universes or directed univalence, the simplicial type theory has semantics in categories of simplicial objects in an $\infty$-topos, with synthetic $\infty$-categories corresponding to internal $\infty$-categories. We verify that directed univalence holds in this semantic setting, constructing an equivalence between hom types in the universal left fibration and function types. In fact, we verify a higher version of this result, constructing an equivalence between homotopy coherent composites in the universal left fibration and composable sequences of functions between types. Using the technique of weighted limits, we reduce this theorem for simplicial objects in an arbitrary $\infty$-topos to calculations "on the left" with simplicial sets.

math.CT↗

arXiv2026

Eliminating reversals from cubical type theories

Cubical type theories are designed around an abstract unit interval from which types of paths, used to represent equalities, are defined. Varying the operations available on this interval yields different type theories. A reversal is an involutive operator on the interval that swaps its two endpoints. We show that for cubical type theories with self-dual interval theories, such as the minimal theory of two endpoints or the theory of a bounded distributive lattice, the extension of the theory with a reversal that internalizes the duality is a conservative extension. The key tool is a "twist construction": the product of an interval and its dual is again an interval with a reversal given by swapping coordinates. Our conservativity result applies to "opaque" cubical type theories, without strict equations reducing the filling operator at concrete type formers or eliminators from higher inductive types at path constructors. Using the same twist construction, we also construct models of strict cubical type theory with reversals in categories of cubical sets without reversals. We thereby give the first model of a theory with reversals whose homotopy theory corresponds to that of topological spaces.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2026

Constructive higher sheaf models with applications to synthetic mathematics

There have recently been several developments in synthetic mathematics using extensions of dependent type theory with univalence and higher inductive types: simplicial homotopy type theory, synthetic algebraic geometry and synthetic Stone duality. We provide a foundation of higher sheaf models of type theory in a constructive metatheory and, in particular, build constructive models of these formal systems.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2026

A synthetic construction of universal cocartesian fibrations

We give a model-independent construction of directed univalent cocartesian fibrations of $(\infty,1)$-categories, and prove a straightening equivalence against such fibrations. The key step is showing that cocartesian fibrations descend along localisations, which we accomplish by analysing mapping spaces of localisations. Along the way we introduce a directed version of the join construction, giving a sequential colimit description of the full image of any functor.

math.CT↗

arXiv2025

A Note About Models of Synthetic Algebraic Geometry

We show how to build models of Synthetic Algebraic Geometry over rings k such that finitely presented k-algebra have a decidable equality. The construction is done in a constructive and weak (same proof theoretic strength as dependent type theory with universes) meta theory.

math.LO↗

arXiv2025

The algebraic small object argument as a saturation

We analyze the structure of left maps in algebraic weak factorization systems constructed using Garner's algebraic small object argument. We find that any left map can be constructed from generators in Bourke and Garner's double category of left maps by operations that parallel the classical cell-complex-forming operations of Quillen's small object argument (coproducts, cobase changes, transfinite composites, and retracts). Our main theorems are phrased as "saturation" principles, which express the closure conditions necessary for a given property or structure to extend from generators to all left maps. The core of the argument is an analysis of the construction of the free monad on a pointed endofunctor.

math.CT↗

arXiv2025

Free monad sequences and extension operations

In the first part of this article, we give an analysis of the free monad sequence in non-cocomplete categories, with the needed colimits explicitly parametrized. This enables us to state a more finely grained functoriality principle for free monad and monoid sequences. In the second part, we deal with the problem of functorially extending via pullback squares a category of maps along the category of coalgebras of an algebraic weak factorization system. This generalizes the classical problem of extending a class of maps along the left class of a weak factorization system in the sense of pullback squares where the vertical maps are in the chosen class and the bottom map is in the left class. Such situations arise in the context of model structures where one might wish to extend fibrations along trivial cofibrations. We derive suitable conditions for the algebraic analogue of weak saturation of the extension problem, using the results of the first part to reduce the technical burden.

math.CT↗

arXiv2024

The equivariant model structure on cartesian cubical sets

We develop a constructive model of homotopy type theory in a Quillen model category that classically presents the usual homotopy theory of spaces. Our model is based on presheaves over the cartesian cube category, a well-behaved Eilenberg-Zilber category. The key innovation is an additional equivariance condition in the specification of the cubical Kan fibrations, which can be described as the pullback of an interval-based class of uniform fibrations in the category of symmetric sequences of cubical sets. The main technical results in the development of our model have been formalized in a computer proof assistant.

math.AT↗

arXiv2024

Natural numbers from integers

In homotopy type theory, a natural number type is freely generated by an element and an endomorphism. Similarly, an integer type is freely generated by an element and an automorphism. Using only dependent sums, identity types, extensional dependent products, and a type of two elements with large elimination, we construct a natural number type from an integer type. As a corollary, homotopy type theory with only $Σ$, $\mathsf{Id}$, $Π$, and finite colimits with descent (and no universes) admits a natural number type. This improves and simplifies a result by Rose.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2023

For the Metatheory of Type Theory, Internal Sconing Is Enough

Metatheorems about type theories are often proven by interpreting the syntax into models constructed using categorical gluing. We propose to use only sconing (gluing along a global section functor) instead of general gluing. The sconing is performed internally to a presheaf category, and we recover the original glued model by externalization. Our method relies on constructions involving two notions of models: first-order models (with explicit contexts) and higher-order models (without explicit contexts). Sconing turns a displayed higher-order model into a displayed first-order model. Using these, we derive specialized induction principles for the syntax of type theory. The input of such an induction principle is a boilerplate-free description of its motives and methods, not mentioning contexts. The output is a section with computation rules specified in the same internal language. We illustrate our framework by proofs of canonicity, normalization and syntactic parametricity for type theory.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2022

Relative elegance and cartesian cubes with one connection

We establish a Quillen equivalence between the Kan-Quillen model structure and a model structure, derived from a cubical model of homotopy type theory, on the category of cartesian cubical sets with one connection. We thereby identify a second model structure which both constructively models homotopy type theory and presents infinity-groupoids, the first example being the equivariant cartesian model of Awodey-Cavallo-Coquand-Riehl-Sattler.

math.AT↗

arXiv2022

The effective model structure and $\infty$-groupoid objects

For a category $\mathcal E$ with finite limits and well-behaved countable coproducts, we construct a model structure, called the effective model structure, on the category of simplicial objects in $\mathcal E$, generalising the Kan--Quillen model structure on simplicial sets. We then prove that the effective model structure is left and right proper and satisfies descent in the sense of Rezk. As a consequence, we obtain that the associated $\infty$-category has finite limits, colimits satisfying descent, and is locally Cartesian closed when $\mathcal E$ is, but is not a higher topos in general. We also characterise the $\infty$-category presented by the effective model structure, showing that it is the full sub-category of presheaves on $\mathcal E$ spanned by Kan complexes in $\mathcal E$, a result that suggests a close analogy with the theory of exact completions.

math.CT↗

arXiv2022

Cubical models of $(\infty, 1)$-categories

We construct a model structure on the category of cubical sets with connections whose cofibrations are the monomorphisms and whose fibrant objects are defined by the right lifting property with respect to inner open boxes, the cubical analogue of inner horns. We show that this model structure is Quillen equivalent to the Joyal model structure on simplicial sets via the triangulation functor. As an application, we show that cubical quasicategories admit a convenient notion of a mapping space, which we use to characterize the weak equivalences between fibrant objects in our model structure as DK-equivalences.

math.AT↗

arXiv2022

Canonicity and homotopy canonicity for cubical type theory

Cubical type theory provides a constructive justification of homotopy type theory. A crucial ingredient of cubical type theory is a path lifting operation which is explained computationally by induction on the type involving several non-canonical choices. We present in this article two canonicity results, both proved by a sconing argument: a homotopy canonicity result, every natural number is path equal to a numeral, even if we take away the equations defining the lifting operation on the type structure, and a canonicity result, which uses these equations in a crucial way. Both proofs are done internally in a presheaf model.

math.LO↗

arXiv2021

The constructive Kan-Quillen model structure: two new proofs

We present two new proofs of Simon Henry's result that the category of simplicial sets admits a constructive counterpart of the classical Kan-Quillen model structure. Our proofs are entirely self-contained and avoid complex combinatorial arguments on anodyne extensions. We also give new constructive proofs of the left and right properness of the model structure.

math.AT↗

arXiv2021

Relative induction principles for type theories

We present new induction principles for the syntax of dependent type theories, which we call relative induction principles. The result of the induction principle relative to a functor F into the syntax is stable over the codomain of F. We rely on the internal language of presheaf categories. In order to combine the internal languages of multiple presheaf categories, we use Dependent Right Adjoints and Multimodal Type Theory. Categorical gluing is used to prove these induction principles, but it not visible in their statements, which involve a notion of model without context extensions. As example applications of these induction principles, we give short and boilerplate-free proofs of canonicity and normalization for some small type theories, and sketch proofs of other metatheoretic results.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2020

Constructive sheaf models of type theory

We generalise sheaf models of intuitionistic logic to univalent type theory over a small category with a Grothendieck topology. We use in a crucial way that we have constructive models of univalence, that can then be relativized to any presheaf models, and these sheaf models are obtained by localisation for a left exact modality. We provide first an abstract notion of descent data which can be thought of as a higher version of the notion of prenucleus on frames, from which can be generated a nucleus (left exact modality) by transfinite iteration. We then provide several examples.

math.LO↗

arXiv2020

Partial Univalence in n-truncated Type Theory

It is well known that univalence is incompatible with uniqueness of identity proofs (UIP), the axiom that all types are h-sets. This is due to finite h-sets having non-trivial automorphisms as soon as they are not h-propositions. A natural question is then whether univalence restricted to h-propositions is compatible with UIP. We answer this affirmatively by constructing a model where types are elements of a closed universe defined as a higher inductive type in homotopy type theory. This universe has a path constructor for simultaneous "partial" univalent completion, i.e., restricted to h-propositions. More generally, we show that univalence restricted to $(n-1)$-types is consistent with the assumption that all types are $n$-truncated. Moreover we parametrize our construction by a suitably well-behaved container, to abstract from a concrete choice of type formers for the universe.

cs.LO↗