# Kerodon

$\Newextarrow{\xRightarrow}{5,5}{0x21D2}$

### 5.2.1 Morphism Spaces

Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a category. To every pair of objects $X,Y \in \operatorname{Ob}(\operatorname{\mathcal{C}})$, one can associate a set $\operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y)$ of morphisms from $X$ to $Y$. Our goal in this section is to explain a counterpart of this construction in the setting of $\infty$-categories.

Construction 5.2.1.1. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a simplicial set containing a pair of vertices $X$ and $Y$. We let $\operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y)$ denote the simplicial set given by the fiber product

$\{ X\} \times _{ \operatorname{Fun}(\{ 0\} , \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}) } \operatorname{Fun}( \Delta ^1, \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}) \times _{ \operatorname{Fun}( \{ 1\} , \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}) } \{ Y\} .$

We will typically be interested in this construction only in the case where $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ is an $\infty$-category; if this condition is satisfied, we will refer to $\operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y)$ as the space of morphisms from $X$ to $Y$.

Remark 5.2.1.2. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be an $\infty$-category containing a pair of objects $X$ and $Y$. Recall that a morphism from $X$ to $Y$ is an edge $e: \Delta ^1 \rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ satisfying $e(0) = X$ and $e(1) = Y$ (Definition 1.3.1.1). It follows that morphisms from $X$ to $Y$ can be identified with vertices of the morphism space $\operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y)$ of Construction 5.2.1.1.

Example 5.2.1.3. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be an ordinary category containing objects $X$ and $Y$, which we will identify with objects of the $\infty$-category $\operatorname{N}_{\bullet }(\operatorname{\mathcal{C}})$. Then the morphism space $\operatorname{Hom}_{ \operatorname{N}_{\bullet }(\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}) }( X, Y)$ of Construction 5.2.1.1 can be identified with the constant simplicial set having the value $\operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y)$ (see Example 5.2.4.4).

Example 5.2.1.4. Let $X$ be a topological space containing a pair of points $x$ and $y$, which we regard as objects of the $\infty$-category $\operatorname{Sing}_{\bullet }(X)$. Then we have a canonical isomorphism of Kan complexes

$\operatorname{Hom}_{ \operatorname{Sing}_{\bullet }(X) }(x, y) \simeq \operatorname{Sing}_{\bullet }( P_{x,y} ),$

where $P_{x,y}$ denotes the topological space of continuous paths $p: [0,1] \rightarrow X$ satisfying $p(0) = x$ and $p(1) = y$ (equipped with the compact-open topology). See Example 5.2.4.5.

Example 5.2.1.5. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ and $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ be $\infty$-categories, so that the join $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\star \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ is also an $\infty$-category (Proposition 4.3.3.21). Then the morphism spaces in $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\star \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ are described by the formula

$\operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\star \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}}(X,Y) \simeq \begin{cases} \operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y) & \textnormal{if } X,Y \in \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\\ \operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}}(X,Y) & \textnormal{if } X,Y \in \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}\\ \Delta ^{0} & \textnormal{if } X \in \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}, Y \in \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}\\ \emptyset & \textnormal{if } X \in \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}, Y \in \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}. \end{cases}$

Example 5.2.1.6. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a simplicial set containing vertices $X$ and $Y$. Let $K$ be a simplicial set, and let $\underline{X}, \underline{Y}: K \rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be the constant maps taking the values $X$ and $Y$, respectively. Then there is a canonical isomorphism of simplicial sets

$\operatorname{Hom}_{ \operatorname{Fun}(K, \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}) }( \underline{X}, \underline{Y} ) \simeq \operatorname{Fun}(K, \operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y) ).$

Remark 5.2.1.7. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a simplicial set containing vertices $X$ and $Y$, which we also regard as vertices of the opposite simplicial set $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}^{\operatorname{op}}$. Then there is a canonical isomorphism of simplicial sets $\operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}^{\operatorname{op}} }( X, Y) \simeq \operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(Y,X)^{\operatorname{op}}$.

Proposition 5.2.1.8. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be an $\infty$-category. For every pair of objects $X,Y \in \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$, the morphism space $\operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y)$ is a Kan complex.

Proof. By definition, the morphism space $\operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y)$ can be identified with the fiber of the restriction map

$\theta : \operatorname{Fun}( \Delta ^1, \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}) \rightarrow \operatorname{Fun}( \operatorname{\partial \Delta }^1, \operatorname{\mathcal{C}})$

over the vertex $(X,Y) \in \operatorname{Fun}( \operatorname{\partial \Delta }^1, \operatorname{\mathcal{C}})$. Corollary 4.4.5.3 guarantees that $\theta$ is an isofibration, so that $\operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y)$ is an $\infty$-category. To show that it is a Kan complex, it will suffice to show that every morphism $u$ in $\operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y)$ is an isomorphism (Proposition 4.4.2.1). By virtue of Corollary 4.4.3.15, it will suffice to show that the image of $u$ in the $\infty$-category $\operatorname{Fun}( \Delta ^1, \operatorname{\mathcal{C}})$ is an isomorphism. This follows from Theorem 4.4.4.4, since evaluation functors

$\operatorname{ev}_0: \operatorname{Fun}(\Delta ^1, \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}) \rightarrow \operatorname{Fun}(\{ 0\} , \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}) \simeq \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\quad \quad \operatorname{ev}_1: \operatorname{Fun}(\Delta ^1, \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}) \rightarrow \operatorname{Fun}(\{ 1\} , \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}) \simeq \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$

carry $u$ to the identity morphisms $\operatorname{id}_{X}$ and $\operatorname{id}_{Y}$, respectively. $\square$

Remark 5.2.1.9. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be an $\infty$-category containing a pair of morphisms $f,g: X \rightarrow Y$ having the same source and target. Then $f$ and $g$ are homotopic (Definition 1.3.3.1) if and only if they belong to the same connected component of the Kan complex $\operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y)$: this follows from the characterization of Corollary 1.3.3.7. Consequently, we obtain a bijection $\operatorname{Hom}_{\mathrm{h} \mathit{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}}(X,Y) \simeq \pi _0( \operatorname{Hom}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y) )$.

Example 5.2.1.10 (Loop Spaces). Let $(X,x)$ be a pointed Kan complex. The Kan complex $\operatorname{Hom}_{X}(x,x)$ is often denoted by $\Omega (X)$ and referred to as the based loop space of $X$. Note that it can be identified with the fiber over $x$ of the evaluation map

$q: \{ x\} \times _{ \operatorname{Fun}(\{ 0\} , X) } \operatorname{Fun}( \Delta ^1, X) \rightarrow \operatorname{Fun}(\{ 1\} , X) = X.$

By virtue of Example 3.1.6.10, this map is a Kan fibration whose domain is a contractible Kan complex. It follows that the long exact sequence of Theorem 3.2.5.1 yields isomorphisms $\pi _{n}( \operatorname{Hom}_{X}(x,x), \operatorname{id}_{x} ) \simeq \pi _{n+1}(X,x)$ for $n \geq 0$.

Example 5.2.1.11. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a $2$-category, let $\operatorname{N}_{\bullet }^{\operatorname{D}}(\operatorname{\mathcal{C}})$ denote its Duskin nerve (Construction 2.3.1.1), and let $X$ and $Y$ be objects of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ (which we identify with vertices of the simplicial set $\operatorname{N}_{\bullet }^{\operatorname{D}}(\operatorname{\mathcal{C}})$). For any category $\operatorname{\mathcal{E}}$, Corollary 2.3.5.14 supplies a bijection

$\xymatrix@R =50pt@C=50pt{ \{ \textnormal{Functors U: \operatorname{Tw}(\operatorname{\mathcal{E}})^{\operatorname{op}} \rightarrow \underline{\operatorname{Hom}}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y)} \} \ar [d] \\ \{ \textnormal{Morphisms of simplicial sets \operatorname{N}_{\bullet }(\operatorname{\mathcal{E}}) \rightarrow \operatorname{Hom}_{ \operatorname{N}_{\bullet }^{\operatorname{D}}(\operatorname{\mathcal{C}})}( X, Y)} \} },$

where $\operatorname{Tw}(\operatorname{\mathcal{E}})$ denotes the twisted arrow category of Construction 2.3.5.1. Specializing to categories of the form $[n] = \{ 0 < 1 < \cdots < n\}$, we see that the simplicial set $\operatorname{Hom}_{ \operatorname{N}_{\bullet }^{\operatorname{D}}(\operatorname{\mathcal{C}})}( X, Y)$ is given by the construction

$( [n] \in \operatorname{{\bf \Delta }}) \mapsto \{ \textnormal{Functors from \operatorname{Tw}([n])^{\operatorname{op}} to \underline{\operatorname{Hom}}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y)} \} .$

In other words, we can identify $n$-simplices of the simplicial set $\operatorname{Hom}_{ \operatorname{N}_{\bullet }^{\operatorname{D}}(\operatorname{\mathcal{C}})}( X, Y)$ with commutative diagrams

$\xymatrix@C =20pt{ & & & & f_{0,n} & & & & \\ & & & f_{0,n-1} \ar@ {=>}[ur] & & f_{1,n} \ar@ {=>}[ul] & & & \\ & & f_{0,n-2} \ar@ {=>}[ur] & & f_{1,n-1} \ar@ {=>}[ul] \ar@ {=>}[ur] & & f_{2,n} \ar@ {=>}[ul] & & \\ & \cdots \ar@ {=>}[ur] & & \cdots \ar@ {=>}[ur] \ar@ {=>}[ul] & & \cdots \ar@ {=>}[ul] \ar@ {=>}[ur] & & \cdots \ar@ {=>}[ul] & \\ f_{0,0} \ar@ {=>}[ur] & & f_{1,1} \ar@ {=>}[ul] \ar@ {=>}[ur] & & \cdots \ar@ {=>}[ul] \ar@ {=>}[ur] & & f_{n-1,n-1} \ar@ {=>}[ul] \ar@ {=>}[ur] & & f_{n,n} \ar@ {=>}[ul] }$

in the category $\underline{\operatorname{Hom}}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}(X,Y)$.