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9.5.6 Bousfield Localization

We now introduce an important class of functors between presentable $\infty $-categories.

Definition 9.5.6.1. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a presentable $\infty $-category. We say that a functor $F: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ is a Bousfield localization functor if the $\infty $-category $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ is presentable and $F$ admits a fully faithful right adjoint.

The terminology of Definition 9.5.6.1 is motivated by the following:

Proposition 9.5.6.2. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ and $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ be presentable $\infty $-categories. Then $F: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ is a Bousfield localization functor if and only if it satisfies the following conditions:

$(1)$

The functor $F$ is cocontinuous: that is, it preserves small colimits.

$(2)$

The functor $F$ is a localization (in the sense of Definition 6.3.3.1): that is, it exhibits $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ as a localization of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ with respect to some collection of morphisms.

Proof. By virtue of the adjoint functor theorem (Theorem 9.5.2.1), condition $(1)$ is equivalent to the requirement that $F$ admits a right adjoint $G: \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$. In this case, $F$ is a Bousfield localization functor if and only if the functor $G$ is fully faithful, which is a reformulation of condition $(2)$ (see Proposition 6.3.3.7). $\square$

Remark 9.5.6.3 (Transitivity). Let $F: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ and $G: \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{E}}$ be functors of $\infty $-categories. Assume that $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ is presentable and that $F$ is a Bousfield localization functor (so that $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ is also presentable). Then $G$ is a Bousfield localization functor if and only if the composition $(G \circ F): \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{E}}$ is a Bousfield localization functor.

Example 9.5.6.4 (Density and Bousfield Localization). Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ be a presentable $\infty $-category. Suppose we are given an essentially small $\infty $-category $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ and a diagram $f: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0 \rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$. Set $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}= \operatorname{Fun}( \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0^{\operatorname{op}}, \operatorname{\mathcal{S}})$, so that $f$ can be identified with a cocontinuous functor $F: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ (see Theorem 8.4.0.3). In this case, $F$ is a Bousfield localization functor (in the sense of Definition 9.5.6.1) if and only if the functor $f$ is dense (in the sense of Definition 8.4.1.15). See Propositions 8.4.1.22 and 8.4.4.1.

Example 9.5.6.5. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ and $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ be essentially small $\infty $-categories having cocompletions $\widehat{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}$ and $\widehat{\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}}$, respectively. Let $f: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ be a functor and let $F: \widehat{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}} \rightarrow \widehat{\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}}$ be its cocontinuous extension. Then $F$ admits right adjoint $G: \widehat{\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}} \rightarrow \widehat{\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}$, which we can identify with the functor $\operatorname{Fun}( \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}^{\operatorname{op}}, \operatorname{\mathcal{S}}) \rightarrow \operatorname{Fun}( \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}^{\operatorname{op}}, \operatorname{\mathcal{S}})$ given by precomposition with $f^{\operatorname{op}}$ (Example 8.4.4.5). If $f$ is a localization functor (Definition 6.3.3.1), then $G$ is fully faithful, so that $F$ is a Bousfield localization functor.

Remark 9.5.6.6. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ be a presentable $\infty $-category. We can always find Bousfield localization functor $F: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$, where $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}= \operatorname{Fun}( \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0^{\operatorname{op}}, \operatorname{\mathcal{S}})$ arises as the cocompletion of an essentially small $\infty $-category $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$. By virtue of Example 9.5.6.4, this is equivalent to the problem of finding a dense functor $f: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0 \rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$, where $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ is essentially small. If $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ is $\kappa $-presentable, we can take $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0 = \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}_{< \kappa }$ to be the full subcategory of $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ spanned by the $\kappa $-compact objects (and $f$ to be the inclusion functor).

Remark 9.5.6.7 (Colimits in Bousfield Localizations). Let $F: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ be a Bousfield localization functor between presentable $\infty $-categories and let $K$ be a small simplicial set. Then a morphism $\overline{q}: K^{\triangleright } \rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ is a colimit diagram if and only if it is isomorphic to $F \circ \overline{p}$, where $\overline{p}: K^{\triangleright } \rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ is a colimit diagram in $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$. The “if” direction is immediate (since the functor $F$ preserves small colimits). For the converse, it suffices to show that $q = \overline{q}|_{K}$ is isomorphic to $F \circ p$ for some diagram $K \rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ (we can then take $\overline{p}$ to be a colimit diagram extending $p$). For example, we can take $p = G \circ q$, where $G: \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ is right adjoint to $F$.

Remark 9.5.6.8. Let $F: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ be a Bousfield localization functor between presentable $\infty $-categories, and suppose we are given another functor $G: \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{E}}$. Then $G$ is cocontinuous if and only if $(G \circ F): \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{E}}$ is cocontinuous. This follows immediately from Remark 9.5.6.7.

Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a presentable $\infty $-category. Every Bousfield localization functor $F: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ admits a right adjoint, which restricts to an equivalence of $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ with a (replete) full subcategory of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$. We now study the full subcategories which arise in this way.

Definition 9.5.6.9. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a presentable $\infty $-category. We say that a full subcategory $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0 \subseteq \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ is a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ if it is reflective (Definition 6.2.2.6) and accessibly embedded (Definition 9.4.7.8).

Remark 9.5.6.10. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a presentable $\infty $-category and let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0 \subseteq \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a reflective subcategory. It follows from Corollary 7.1.4.33 that $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ is automatically complete and cocomplete. Consequently, if $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ is a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$, then it is a presentable $\infty $-category.

Remark 9.5.6.11. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a presentable $\infty $-category. If a full subcategory $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0 \subseteq \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ is a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ (in the sense of Definition 9.5.6.9), then the inclusion $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0 \hookrightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ admits a left adjoint $L: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ which is a Bousfield localization functor (in the sense of Definition 9.5.6.1). Using Remark 6.3.3.12, we see that this construction determines a bijection

\[ \xymatrix@C =50pt@R=50pt{ \{ \textnormal{Bousfield localizations $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0 \subseteq \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$} \} \ar [d]^{\sim } \\ \{ \textnormal{Bousfield localization functors $F: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$} \} / \textnormal{Equivalence} . } \]

The inverse bijection carries a Bousfield localization functor $F: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ to the essential image its right adjoint.

Example 9.5.6.12. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{QC}}$ denote the $\infty $-category of small $\infty $-categories (Construction 5.5.3.1) and let $\operatorname{\mathcal{S}}\subseteq \operatorname{\mathcal{QC}}$ be the $\infty $-category of spaces (Construction 3.1.6.1). Then $\operatorname{\mathcal{S}}$ is a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{\mathcal{QC}}$: it is replete (Remark 4.5.1.21), reflective (Example 6.2.2.11), and presentable (Example 9.5.1.3).

Remark 9.5.6.13 (Products). Let $\{ \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}(s) \} _{s \in S}$ be a collection of presentable $\infty $-categories indexed by a small set $S$, so that the product $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}= \prod _{s \in S} \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}(s)$ is also presentable (Example 9.5.4.8). Suppose that, for each $s \in S$, we are given a Bousfield localization $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0(s) \subseteq \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}(s)$. Then the product $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0 = \prod _{s \in S} \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0(s)$ is a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$.

Remark 9.5.6.14. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a presentable $\infty $-category and let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ be a replete full subcategory. Then $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ is a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ if and only if the inclusion functor $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0 \hookrightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ admits a left adjoint $L: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ which is accessible when viewed as a functor from $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ to itself. See Proposition 9.4.7.9.

Proposition 9.5.6.15. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a presentable $\infty $-category and let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0 \subseteq \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a full subcategory. Then $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ is a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ if and only if it is accessibly embedded and closed under small limits in $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$.

Proof. Assume that the subcategory $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ is accessibly embedded and closed under small limits; we will show that $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ is a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ (the converse is a special case of Variant 7.1.4.31). Since the $\infty $-category $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ is accessible and complete, it is presentable. By assumption, the inclusion functor $\iota : \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0 \hookrightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ is accessible and continuous. Applying the adjoint functor theorem (Theorem 9.5.2.1), we conclude that $\iota $ admits a left adjoint $L: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$, so that $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ is a reflective subcategory of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ (Proposition 6.2.2.18). $\square$

Example 9.5.6.16. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a presentable $\infty $-category, and let $\operatorname{Isom}(\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}) \subseteq \operatorname{Fun}( \Delta ^1, \operatorname{\mathcal{C}})$ denote the full subcategory spanned by the isomorphisms in $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ (Example 4.4.1.14). Then $\operatorname{Isom}(\operatorname{\mathcal{C}})$ is a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{Fun}( \Delta ^1, \operatorname{\mathcal{C}})$.

Example 9.5.6.17 (Presentable Colimits as Bousfield Localizations). Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a small simplicial set, let $U: \operatorname{\mathcal{E}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a presentable cocartesian fibration, so that $U$ admits a covariant transport representation $\operatorname{Tr}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{E}}/\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{QC}}^{\operatorname{LPr}}$ (Corollary 9.5.3.8). Recall that $U$ is a cartesian fibration, and that colimit $\varinjlim ( \operatorname{Tr}_{\operatorname{\mathcal{E}}/\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}} )$ (formed in the $\infty $-category $\operatorname{\mathcal{QC}}^{\operatorname{LPr}}$) can be identified with the $\infty $-category $\operatorname{Fun}_{ / \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}^{\operatorname{Cart}}( \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}, \operatorname{\mathcal{E}})$ of cartesian sections of $U$ (Remark 9.5.4.15). It follows from Proposition 9.5.6.15 that $\operatorname{Fun}_{ / \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}^{\operatorname{Cart}}( \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}, \operatorname{\mathcal{E}})$ is a Bousfield localization of the $\infty $-category $\operatorname{Fun}_{ / \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}}( \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}, \operatorname{\mathcal{E}})$ of all sections of $U$ (which is also presentable; see Proposition 9.5.4.17).

Example 9.5.6.18 (Truncated Objects). Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a presentable $\infty $-category, let $n$ be an integer, and let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_{\leq n}$ denote the full subcategory of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ spanned by the $n$-truncated objects. Then $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_{\leq n}$ is a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$. This is a special case of Proposition 9.5.6.15, since the full subcategory $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_{\leq n}$ is accessibly embedded (Corollary 9.4.8.14) and closed under limits (Corollary 7.3.8.7).

Corollary 9.5.6.19. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ and $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ be presentable $\infty $-categories and let $G: \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a continuous accessible functor. If $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0 \subseteq \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ is a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$, then the inverse image $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}_0 = G^{-1} \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ is a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$.

Proof. It follows from Corollary 9.4.8.12 that $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ is an accessibly embedded subcategory of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$. By virtue of Proposition 9.5.6.15, it will suffice to show that $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ is closed under small limits in $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$. This follows from our assumption that $G$ is continuous, since $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}_0$ is closed under small limits in $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$. $\square$

Corollary 9.5.6.20. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ and $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ be presentable $\infty $-categories. Suppose we are given continuous accessible functors $G,G': \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$ and a natural transformation $\alpha : G \rightarrow G'$. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0 \subseteq \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be the full subcategory spanned by those objects $C \in \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ such that $\alpha _{C}: G(C) \rightarrow G'(C)$ is an isomorphism in $\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}$. Then $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ is a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$.

Proof. The natural transformation $\alpha $ can be identified with a continuous accessible functor $T: \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \operatorname{Fun}( \Delta ^1, \operatorname{\mathcal{D}})$. By construction, $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_0$ is the inverse image under $T$ of the full subcategory $\operatorname{Isom}(\operatorname{\mathcal{D}}) \subseteq \operatorname{Fun}( \Delta ^1, \operatorname{\mathcal{D}})$ spanned by the isomorphisms. Since $\operatorname{Isom}( \operatorname{\mathcal{D}})$ is a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{Fun}( \Delta ^1, \operatorname{\mathcal{D}})$ (Example 9.5.6.16), the desired result is a special case of Corollary 9.5.6.19. $\square$

Corollary 9.5.6.21. Let $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ be a presentable $\infty $-category and let $\{ \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_ s \subseteq \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\} _{s \in S}$ be a collection of Bousfield localizations of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$ indexed by a small set $S$. Then the intersection $\bigcap _{s \in S} \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_{s}$ is also a Bousfield localization of $\operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$.

Proof. The intersection $\bigcap _{s \in S} \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_ s$ can be identified with the inverse image of the product $\prod _{s \in S} \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_ s$ under the diagonal map $\delta : \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}\rightarrow \prod _{s \in S} \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$. By virtue of Corollary 9.5.6.19, it will suffice to show that $\prod _{s \in S} \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}_ s$ is a Bousfield localization of $\prod _{s \in S} \operatorname{\mathcal{C}}$, which is a special case of Remark 9.5.6.13. $\square$