Higher-dimensional categories with finite derivation type

We study convergent (terminating and confluent) presentations of n-categories. Using the notion of polygraph (or computad), we introduce the homotopical property of finite derivation type for n-categories, generalizing the one introduced by Squier for word rewriting systems. We characterize this property by using the notion of critical branching. In particular, we define sufficient conditions for an n-category to have finite derivation type. Through examples, we present several techniques based on derivations of 2-categories to study convergent presentations by 3-polygraphs

Homological Computations for Term Rewriting Systems

An important problem in universal algebra consists in finding presentations of algebraic theories by generators and relations, which are as small as possible. Exhibiting lower bounds on the number of those generators and relations for a given theory is a difficult task because it a priori requires considering all possible sets of generators for a theory and no general method exists. In this article, we explain how homological computations can provide such lower bounds, in a systematic way, and show how to actually compute those in the case where a presentation of the theory by a convergent rewriting system is known. We also introduce the notion of coherent presentation of a theory in order to consider finer homotopical invariants. In some aspects, this work generalizes, to term rewriting systems, Squier\u27s celebrated homological and homotopical invariants for string rewriting systems

Maurice Janet's algorithms on systems of linear partial differential equations

This article presents the emergence of formal methods in theory of partial differential equations (PDE) in the french school of mathematics through Janet's work in the period 1913-1930. In his thesis and in a series of articles published during this period, M. Janet introduced an original formal approach to deal with the solvability of the problem of initial conditions for finite linear PDE systems. His constructions implicitly used an interpretation of a monomial PDE system as a generating family of a multiplicative set of monomials. He introduced an algorithmic method on multiplicative sets to compute compatibility conditions, and to study the problem of the existence and the unicity of a solution to a linear PDE system with given initial conditions. The compatibility conditions are formulated using a refinement of the division operation on monomials defined with respect to a partition of the set of variables into multiplicative and non-multiplicative variables. M. Janet was a pioneer in the development of these algorithmic methods, and the completion procedure that he introduced on polynomials was the first one in a long and rich series of works on completion methods which appeared independently throughout the 20th century in various algebraic contexts

A Homotopical Completion Procedure with Applications to Coherence of Monoids

International audienceOne of the most used algorithm in rewriting theory is the Knuth-Bendix completion procedure which starts from a terminating rewriting system and iteratively adds rules to it, trying to produce an equivalent convergent rewriting system. It is in particular used to study presentations of monoids, since normal forms of the rewriting system provide canonical representatives of words modulo the congruence generated by the rules. Here, we are interested in extending this procedure in order to retrieve information about the low-dimensional homotopy properties of a monoid. We therefore consider the notion of coherent presentation, which is a generalization of rewriting systems that keeps track of the cells generated by confluence diagrams. We extend the Knuth-Bendix completion procedure to this setting, resulting in a homotopical completion procedure. It is based on a generalization of Tietze transformations, which are operations that can be iteratively applied to relate any two presentations of the same monoid. We also explain how these transformations can be used to remove useless generators, rules, or confluence diagrams in a coherent presentation, thus leading to a homotopical reduction procedure. Finally, we apply these techniques to the study of some examples coming from representation theory, to compute minimal coherent presentations for them: braid, plactic and Chinese monoids

Higher Catoids, Higher Quantales and their Correspondences

We establish modal correspondences between omega-catoids and convolution omega-quantales. These are related to J\'onsson-Tarski style-dualities between relational structures and lattices with operators. We introduce omega-catoids as generalisations of (strict) omega-categories and in particular of the higher path categories generated by polygraphs (or computads) in higher rewriting. Convolution omega-quantales generalise the powerset omega-Kleene algebras recently proposed for algebraic coherence proofs in higher rewriting to weighted variants. We extend these correspondences to ({\omega},p)-catoids and convolution ({\omega},p)-quantales suitable for modelling homotopies in higher rewriting. We also specialise them to finitely decomposable ({\omega}, p)-catoids, an appropriate setting for defining ({\omega}, p)-semirings and ({\omega}, p)-Kleene algebras. These constructions support the systematic development and justification of higher quantale axioms relative to a previous ad hoc approach.Comment: 46 pages, 8 figure

Algebraic coherent confluence and higher-dimensional globular Kleene algebras

We extend the formalisation of confluence results in Kleene algebras to a formalisation of coherent proofs by confluence. To this end, we introduce the structure of modal higher-dimensional globular Kleene algebra, a higher-dimensional generalisation of modal and concurrent Kleene algebra. We give a calculation of a coherent Church-Rosser theorem and Newman's lemma in higher-dimensional Kleene algebras. We interpret these results in the context of higher-dimensional rewriting systems described by polygraphs.Comment: Pre-print (second version