Introduction to the language of stacks and gerbes

This is an introduction to gerbes for topologists, with emphasis on non-abelian cohomology.Comment: 30 page

Orbifolds as Groupoids: an Introduction

This is a survey paper based on my talk at the Workshop on Orbifolds and String Theory, the goal of which was to explain the role of groupoids and their classifying spaces as a foundation for the theory of orbifolds

A definability theorem for first order logic

For any first order theory T we construct a Boolean valued model M, in which precisely the T--provable formulas hold, and in which every (Boolean valued) subset which is invariant under all automorphisms of M is definable by a first order formula. Our presentation is entirely selfcontained, and only requires familiarity with the most elementary properties of model theory

On the derived category of an algebra over an operad

We present a general construction of the derived category of an algebra over an operad and establish its invariance properties. A central role is played by the enveloping operad of an algebra over an operad.Comment: References and remark 2.5 adde

Topological Representation of Geometric Theories

Using Butz and Moerdijk's topological groupoid representation of a topos with enough points, a `syntax-semantics' duality for geometric theories is constructed. The emphasis is on a logical presentation, starting with a description of the semantical topological groupoid of models and isomorphisms of a theory and a direct proof that this groupoid represents its classifying topos. Using this representation, a contravariant adjunction is constructed between theories and topological groupoids. The restriction of this adjunction yields a contravariant equivalence between theories with enough models and semantical groupoids. Technically a variant of the syntax-semantics duality constructed in [Awodey and Forssell, arXiv:1008.3145v1] for first-order logic, the construction here works for arbitrary geometric theories and uses a slice construction on the side of groupoids---reflecting the use of `indexed' models in the representation theorem---which in several respects simplifies the construction and allows for an intrinsic characterization of the semantic side.Comment: 32 pages. This is the first pre-print version, the final revised version can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/malq.201100080/abstract (posting of which is not allowed by Wiley). Changes in v2: updated comment

Axiomatic homotopy theory for operads

We give sufficient conditions for the existence of a model structure on operads in an arbitrary symmetric monoidal model category. General invariance properties for homotopy algebras over operads are deduced.Comment: 29 pages, revised for publicatio

A note on the global structure of proper Lie groupoids in low codimensions

We observe that any connected proper Lie groupoid whose orbits have codimension at most two admits a globally effective representation on a smooth vector bundle, i.e., one whose kernel consists only of ineffective arrows. As an application, we deduce that any such groupoid can up to Morita equivalence be presented as an extension of some action groupoid G n X with G compact by some bundle of compact Lie groups.Comment: 12 page