Strictification tensor product of 2-categories

Branko Nikolic

Given 2-categories C and D, let Lax (C,D) denote the 2-category of lax functors, lax natural transformations and modifications, and [C,D]_lnt its full sub-2-category of (strict) 2-functors. We give two isomorphic constructions of a 2-category C \boxtimes D satisfying Lax (C, Lax(D,E)) \cong [C \boxtimes D, E}_lnt, hence generalising the case of the free distributive law 1 \boxtimes 1. We also discuss dual constructions.

Keywords: Lax functor, strictification, distributive law, lax Gray product, free monoid

2010 MSC: 18D05, 18D35, 18G30

Theory and Applications of Categories, Vol. 34, 2019, No. 22, pp 635-661.

Published 2019-08-13.

http://www.tac.mta.ca/tac/volumes/34/22/34-22.pdf

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