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J. Daniel Christensen

Publications and source records attributed to J. Daniel Christensen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2025

Ext groups in Homotopy Type Theory

Ext groups are fundamental homological invariants which have important applications in homotopy theory and algebra. In particular, they appear in the classical universal coefficient theorem, a key computational tool in homotopy theory. Motivated by the goal of extending such tools to synethetic homotopy theory, we develop the theory of Yoneda Ext groups [Yon54] over a ring in homotopy type theory (HoTT) and describe their interpretation into an $\infty$-topos. The Yoneda approach to Ext groups does not require projective or injective resolutions, which is a crucial in HoTT since we do not know that such resolutions exist. While it produces group objects that are a priori, we show that the $\mathrm{Ext}^1$ groups are equivalent to small groups, leaving open the question of whether the higher Ext groups are essentially small as well. We also show that the $\mathrm{Ext}^1$ groups take on the usual form as a product of cyclic groups whenever the input modules are finitely presented and the ring is a PID (in the constructive sense). When interpreted into an $\infty$-topos of sheaves on a 1-category, our Ext groups recover (and give a resolution-free approach to) sheaf Ext groups, which arise in algebraic geometry [Gro57]. (These are also called "local" Ext groups.) We may therefore interpret results about Ext from HoTT and apply them to sheaf Ext. To show this, we prove that injectivity of modules in HoTT interprets to internal injectivity in these models. It follows, for example, that sheaf Ext can be computed using resolutions which are projective or injective in the sense of HoTT, when they exist, and we give an example of this in the projective case. We also discuss the relation between internal $\mathbb{Z} G$-modules (for a $0$-truncated group object $G$) and abelian groups in the slice over $BG$, and study the interpretation of our Ext groups in both settings.

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arXiv2025

Central H-spaces and banded types

We introduce and study central types, which are generalizations of Eilenberg-Mac Lane spaces. A type is central when it is equivalent to the component of the identity among its own self-equivalences. From centrality alone we construct an infinite delooping in terms of a tensor product of banded types, which are the appropriate notion of torsor for a central type. Our constructions are carried out in homotopy type theory, and therefore hold in any $\infty$-topos. Even when interpreted into the $\infty$-topos of spaces, our approach to constructing these deloopings is new. Along the way, we further develop the theory of H-spaces in homotopy type theory, including their relation to evaluation fibrations and Whitehead products. These considerations let us, for example, rule out the existence of H-space structures on the $2n$-sphere for $n > 0$. We also give a novel description of the moduli space of H-space structures on an H-space. Using this description, we generalize a formula of Arkowitz-Curjel and Copeland for counting the number of path components of this moduli space. As an application, we deduce that the moduli space of H-space structures on the $3$-sphere is $Ω^6 \mathbb{S}^3$.

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arXiv2024

Non-accessible localizations

In a 2005 paper, Casacuberta, Scevenels and Smith construct a homotopy idempotent functor $E$ on the category of simplicial sets with the property that whether it can be expressed as localization with respect to a map $f$ is independent of the ZFC axioms. We show that this construction can be carried out in homotopy type theory. More precisely, we give a general method of associating to a suitable (possibly large) family of maps, a reflective subuniverse of any universe $\mathcal{U}$. When specialized to an appropriate family, this produces a localization which when interpreted in the $\infty$-topos of spaces agrees with the localization corresponding to $E$. Our approach generalizes the approach of [CSS] in two ways. First, by working in homotopy type theory, our construction can be interpreted in any $\infty$-topos. Second, while the local objects produced by [CSS] are always 1-types, our construction can produce $n$-types, for any $n$. This is new, even in the $\infty$-topos of spaces. In addition, by making use of universes, our proof is very direct. Along the way, we prove many results about "small" types that are of independent interest. As an application, we give a new proof that separated localizations exist. We also give results that say when a localization with respect to a family of maps can be presented as localization with respect to a single map, and show that the simplicial model satisfies a strong form of the axiom of choice which implies that sets cover and that the law of excluded middle holds.

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arXiv2023

Detecting isomorphisms in the homotopy category

We show that the homotopy category of unpointed spaces admits no set of objects jointly reflecting isomorphisms by giving an explicit counterexample involving large symmetric groups. We also show that, in contrast, the spheres jointly reflect equivalences in the homotopy 2-category of spaces. The non-existence of such a set in the homotopy category was originally claimed by Heller, but his argument relied on the statement that for every set of spaces, long enough transfinite sequential diagrams admit weak colimits which are privileged with respect to the given set. Using the theory of graphs of groups, we show that this statement is false, by proving that for every ordinal with uncountable cofinality, there is a diagram indexed by that ordinal which admits no weak colimit that is privileged with respect to the spheres.

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arXiv2023

The Hurewicz theorem in Homotopy Type Theory

We prove the Hurewicz theorem in homotopy type theory, i.e., that for $X$ a pointed, $(n-1)$-connected type $(n \geq 1)$ and $A$ an abelian group, there is a natural isomorphism $π_n(X)^{ab} \otimes A \cong \tilde{H}_n(X; A)$ relating the abelianization of the homotopy groups with the homology. We also compute the connectivity of a smash product of types and express the lowest non-trivial homotopy group as a tensor product. Along the way, we study magmas, loop spaces, connected covers and prespectra, and we use $1$-coherent categories to express naturality and for the Yoneda lemma. As homotopy type theory has models in all $\infty$-toposes, our results can be viewed as extending known results about spaces to all other $\infty$-toposes.

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arXiv2021

Characterizations of modalities and lex modalities

A reflective subuniverse in homotopy type theory is an internal version of the notion of a localization in topology or in the theory of $\infty$-categories. Working in homotopy type theory, we give new characterizations of the following conditions on a reflective subuniverse $L$: (1) the associated subuniverse $L'$ of $L$-separated types is a modality; (2) $L$ is a modality; (3) $L$ is a lex modality; and (4) $L$ is a cotopological modality. In each case, we give several necessary and sufficient conditions. Our characterizations involve various families of maps associated to $L$, such as the $L$-étale maps, the $L$-equivalences, the $L$-local maps, the $L$-connected maps, the unit maps $η_X$, and their left and/or right orthogonal complements. More generally, our main theorem gives an overview of how all of these classes related to each other. We also give examples that show that all of the inclusions we describe between these classes of maps can be strict.

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arXiv2021

On good morphisms of exact triangles

In a triangulated category, cofibre fill-ins always exist. Neeman showed that there is always at least one "good" fill-in, i.e., one whose mapping cone is exact. Verdier constructed a fill-in of a particular form in his proof of the $4 \times 4$ lemma, which we call "Verdier good". We show that for several classes of morphisms of exact triangles, the notions of good and Verdier good agree. We prove a lifting criterion for commutative squares in terms of (Verdier) good fill-ins. Using our results on good fill-ins, we also prove a pasting lemma for homotopy cartesian squares.

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arXiv2021

Exterior bundles in diffeology

We explore several notions of $k$-form at a point in a diffeological space, construct bundles of such $k$-forms, and compare sections of these bundles to differential forms. As they are defined locally, our $k$-forms can contain more information than the values of differential forms contain, and we illustrate this with many examples. To organize our work, we develop the basic theory of diffeological vector pseudo-bundles, including a detailed understanding of their limits and colimits, as well as a variety of fibrewise operations such as products, direct sums, tensor products, exterior powers and dual bundles.

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arXiv2020

Smooth classifying spaces

We develop the theory of smooth principal bundles for a smooth group $G$, using the framework of diffeological spaces. After giving new examples showing why arbitrary principal bundles cannot be classified, we define $D$-numerable bundles, the smooth analogs of numerable bundles from topology, and prove that pulling back a $D$-numerable bundle along smoothly homotopic maps gives isomorphic pullbacks. We then define smooth structures on Milnor's spaces $EG$ and $BG$, show that $EG \to BG$ is a $D$-numerable principal bundle, and prove that it classifies all $D$-numerable principal bundles over any diffeological space. We deduce analogous classification results for $D$-numerable diffeological bundles and vector bundles.

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arXiv2020

Localization in Homotopy Type Theory

We study localization at a prime in homotopy type theory, using self maps of the circle. Our main result is that for a pointed, simply connected type $X$, the natural map $X \to X_{(p)}$ induces algebraic localizations on all homotopy groups. In order to prove this, we further develop the theory of reflective subuniverses. In particular, we show that for any reflective subuniverse $L$, the subuniverse of $L$-separated types is again a reflective subuniverse, which we call $L'$. Furthermore, we prove results establishing that $L'$ is almost left exact. We next focus on localization with respect to a map, giving results on preservation of coproducts and connectivity. We also study how such localizations interact with other reflective subuniverses and orthogonal factorization systems. As key steps towards proving the main theorem, we show that localization at a prime commutes with taking loop spaces for a pointed, simply connected type, and explicitly describe the localization of an Eilenberg-Mac Lane space $K(G,n)$ with $G$ abelian. We also include a partial converse to the main theorem.

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arXiv2019

Diffeological vector spaces

We study the relationship between many natural conditions that one can put on a diffeological vector space: being fine or projective, having enough smooth (or smooth linear) functionals to separate points, having a diffeology determined by the smooth linear functionals, having fine finite-dimensional subspaces, and having a Hausdorff underlying topology. Our main result is that the majority of the conditions fit into a total order. We also give many examples in order to show which implications do not hold, and use our results to study the homological algebra of diffeological vector spaces.

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arXiv2017

Higher Toda brackets and the Adams spectral sequence in triangulated categories

The Adams spectral sequence is available in any triangulated category equipped with a projective or injective class. Higher Toda brackets can also be defined in a triangulated category, as observed by B. Shipley based on J. Cohen's approach for spectra. We provide a family of definitions of higher Toda brackets, show that they are equivalent to Shipley's, and show that they are self-dual. Our main result is that the Adams differential $d_r$ in any Adams spectral sequence can be expressed as an $(r+1)$-fold Toda bracket and as an $r^{\text{th}}$ order cohomology operation. We also show how the result simplifies under a sparseness assumption, discuss several examples, and give an elementary proof of a result of Heller, which implies that the three-fold Toda brackets in principle determine the higher Toda brackets.

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arXiv2016

Tangent spaces of bundles and of filtered diffeological spaces

We show that a diffeological bundle gives rise to an exact sequence of internal tangent spaces. We then introduce two new classes of diffeological spaces, which we call weakly filtered and filtered diffeological spaces, whose tangent spaces are easier to understand. These are the diffeological spaces whose categories of pointed plots are (weakly) filtered. We extend the exact sequence one step further in the case of a diffeological bundle with filtered total space and base space. We also show that the tangent bundle $T^H X$ defined by Hector is a diffeological vector space over $X$ when $X$ is filtered or when $X$ is a homogeneous space, and therefore agrees with the dvs tangent bundle introduced by the authors in a previous paper.

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arXiv2016

David Gale's subset take-away game

Subset take-away is a two-player game involving a fixed finite set A. Players alternate choosing a proper, non-empty subset of A, with the condition that one may not name a set containing a set that was named earlier. A player unable to move loses. It was conjectured by David Gale that this game is always a second player win, and this was known to hold if A has no more than 5 elements. In this paper, we describe a technique called "binary star reduction" that often allows one to dramatically reduce the complexity of a position. Using this tool and some computer search we show that Gale's conjecture holds when A has six elements. We also show how this game can be interpreted geometrically.

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arXiv2015

Tangent spaces and tangent bundles for diffeological spaces

We study how the notion of tangent space can be extended from smooth manifolds to diffeological spaces, which are generalizations of smooth manifolds that include singular spaces and infinite-dimensional spaces. We focus on two definitions. The internal tangent space of a diffeological space is defined using smooth curves into the space, and the external tangent space is defined using smooth derivations on germs of smooth functions. We prove fundamental results about these tangent spaces, compute them in many examples, and observe that while they agree for smooth manifolds and many of the examples, they do not agree in general. After this, we recall Hector's definition of the tangent bundle of a diffeological space, and show that both scalar multiplication and addition can fail to be smooth, revealing errors in several references. We then give an improved definition of the tangent bundle, using what we call the dvs diffeology, which ensures that scalar multiplication and addition are smooth. We establish basic facts about these tangent bundles, compute them in many examples, and study the question of whether the fibres of tangent bundles are fine diffeological vector spaces. Our examples include singular spaces, spaces whose natural topology is non-Hausdorff (e.g., irrational tori), infinite-dimensional vector spaces and diffeological groups, and spaces of smooth maps between smooth manifolds (including diffeomorphism groups).

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arXiv2015

The D-topology for diffeological spaces

Diffeological spaces are generalizations of smooth manifolds which include singular spaces and function spaces. For each diffeological space, Iglesias-Zemmour introduced a natural topology called the $D$-topology. However, the $D$-topology has not yet been studied seriously in the existing literature. In this paper, we develop the basic theory of the $D$-topology for diffeological spaces. We explain that the topological spaces that arise as the $D$-topology of a diffeological space are exactly the $Δ$-generated spaces and give results and examples which help to determine when a space is $Δ$-generated. Our most substantial results show how the $D$-topology on the function space $C^{\infty}(M,N)$ between smooth manifolds compares to other well-known topologies.

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arXiv2015

The homotopy theory of diffeological spaces

Diffeological spaces are generalizations of smooth manifolds. In this paper, we study the homotopy theory of diffeological spaces. We begin by proving basic properties of the smooth homotopy groups that we will need later. Then we introduce the smooth singular simplicial set $S^D(X)$ associated to a diffeological space $X$, and show that when $S^D(X)$ is fibrant, it captures smooth homotopical properties of $X$. Motivated by this, we define $X$ to be fibrant when $S^D(X)$ is, and more generally define cofibrations, fibrations and weak equivalences in the category of diffeological spaces using the smooth singular simplicial set functor. We conjecture that these form a model category structure, but in this paper we assume little prior knowledge of model categories, and instead focus on concrete questions about smooth manifolds and diffeological spaces. We prove that our setup generalizes the naive smooth homotopy theory of smooth manifolds by showing that a smooth manifold without boundary is fibrant and that for fibrant diffeological spaces, the weak equivalences can be detected using ordinary smooth homotopy groups. We also show that our definition of fibrations generalizes Iglesias-Zemmour's theory of diffeological bundles. We prove enough of the model category axioms to show that every diffeological space has a functorial cofibrant replacement. We give many explicit examples of objects that are cofibrant, not cofibrant, fibrant and not fibrant, as well as many other examples showing the richness of the theory. For example, we show that the free loop space of a smooth manifold is fibrant. One of the implicit points of this paper is that the language of model categories is an effective way to organize homotopical thinking, even when it is not known that all of the model category axioms are satisfied.

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