[1] From coherent structures to universal properties
(to appear in Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra)
Abstract: Given a 2-category K admitting a
calculus of bimodules, and a 2-monad T on it
compatible with such calculus, we construct a 2-category L
with a 2-monad S on it such that: i) S has
the adjoint-pseudo-algebra property. ii) The 2-categories
of pseudo-algebras of S and T are
equivalent. Thus, coherent structures (pseudo-T-algebras)
are transformed into universally characterised ones (adjoint-pseudo-S-algebras).
The 2-category L consists of lax algebras for the
pseudo-monad induced by T on the bicategory of
bimodules of K. We give an intrinsic
characterisation of pseudo-S-algebras in terms of representability.
Two major consequences of the above transformation are
the classifications of lax and strong morphisms, with the
attendant coherence result for pseudo-algebras. We apply
the theory in the context of internal categories and
examine monoidal and monoidal globular categories (including
their monoid classifiers) as well as pseudo-functors
into Cat.
[2] Representable multicategories
(to appear in Advances in Mathematics)
Abstract: We introduce the notion of representable
multicategory, which stands in the same relation to
that of monoidal category as fibration does to
contravariant pseudofunctor (into Cat). We give an
abstract reformulation of multicategories as monads in a
suitable Kleisli bicategory of spans. We describe
representability in elementary terms via universal
arrows. We also give a doctrinal characterisation of
representability based on a fundamental monadic
adjunction between the 2-category of multicategories and
that of strict monoidal categories. The first main result
is the coherence theorem for representable
multicategories, asserting their equivalence to strict
ones, which we establish via a new technique based on the
above doctrinal characterisation. The other main result
is a 2-equivalence between the 2-category of
representable multicategories and that of monoidal
categories and strong monoidal functors. This
correspondence extends smoothly to one between
bicategories and a localised version of representable
multicategories.