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The Stacks project

14.31 Kan fibrations

Let n, k be integers with 0 \leq k \leq n and 1 \leq n. Let \sigma _0, \ldots , \sigma _ n be the n + 1 faces of the unique nondegenerate n-simplex \sigma of \Delta [n], i.e., \sigma _ i = d_ i\sigma . We let

\Lambda _ k[n] \subset \Delta [n]

be the kth horn of the n-simplex \Delta [n]. It is the simplicial subset of \Delta [n] generated by \sigma _0, \ldots , \hat\sigma _ k, \ldots , \sigma _ n. In other words, the image of the displayed inclusion contains all the nondegenerate simplices of \Delta [n] except for \sigma and \sigma _ k.

Definition 14.31.1. A map X \to Y of simplicial sets is called a Kan fibration if for all k, n with 1 \leq n, 0 \leq k \leq n and any commutative solid diagram

\xymatrix{ \Lambda _ k[n] \ar[r] \ar[d] & X \ar[d] \\ \Delta [n] \ar[r] \ar@{-->}[ru] & Y }

a dotted arrow exists making the diagram commute. A Kan complex is a simplicial set X such that X \to * is a Kan fibration, where * is the constant simplicial set on a singleton.

Note that \Lambda _ k[n] is always nonempty. Thus a morphism from the empty simplicial set to any simplicial set is always a Kan fibration. It follows from Lemma 14.30.2 that a trivial Kan fibration is a Kan fibration.

Lemma 14.31.2. Let f : X \to Y be a Kan fibration of simplicial sets. Let Y' \to Y be a morphism of simplicial sets. Then X \times _ Y Y' \to Y' is a Kan fibration.

Proof. This follows immediately from the functorial properties of the fibre product (Lemma 14.7.2) and the definitions. \square

Lemma 14.31.3. The composition of two Kan fibrations is a Kan fibration.

Proof. Omitted. \square

Lemma 14.31.4. Let \ldots \to U^2 \to U^1 \to U^0 be a sequence of Kan fibrations. Let U = \mathop{\mathrm{lim}}\nolimits U^ t defined by taking U_ n = \mathop{\mathrm{lim}}\nolimits U_ n^ t. Then U \to U^0 is a Kan fibration.

Proof. Omitted. Hint: use that for a countable sequence of surjections of sets the inverse limit is nonempty. \square

Lemma 14.31.5. Let X_ i \to Y_ i be a set of Kan fibrations. Then \prod X_ i \to \prod Y_ i is a Kan fibration.

Proof. Omitted. \square

The following lemma is due to J.C. Moore, see [Moore-Cartan].

Lemma 14.31.6. Let X be a simplicial group. Then X is a Kan complex.

Proof. The following proof is basically just a translation into English of the proof in the reference mentioned above. Using the terminology as explained in the introduction to this section, suppose f : \Lambda _ k[n] \to X is a morphism from a horn. Set x_ i = f(\sigma _ i) \in X_{n - 1} for i = 0, \ldots , \hat k, \ldots , n. This means that for i < j we have d_ i x_ j = d_{j - 1} x_ i whenever i, j \not= k. We have to find an x \in X_ n such that x_ i = d_ ix for i = 0, \ldots , \hat k, \ldots , n.

We first prove there exists a u \in X_ n such that d_ i u = x_ i for i < k. This is trivial for k = 0. If k > 0, one defines by induction an element u^ r \in X_ n such that d_ i u^ r = x_ i for 0 \leq i \leq r. Start with u^0 = s_0x_0. If r < k - 1, we set

y^ r = s_{r + 1}((d_{r + 1}u^ r)^{-1}x_{r + 1}),\quad u^{r + 1} = u^ r y^ r.

An easy calculation shows that d_ iy^ r = 1 (unit element of the group X_{n - 1}) for i \leq r and d_{r + 1}y^ r = (d_{r + 1}u^ r)^{-1}x_{r + 1}. It follows that d_ iu^{r + 1} = x_ i for i \leq r + 1. Finally, take u = u^{k - 1} to get u as promised.

Next we prove, by induction on the integer r, 0 \leq r \leq n - k, there exists a x^ r \in X_ n such that

d_ i x^ r = x_ i\quad \text{for }i < k\text{ and }i > n - r.

Start with x^0 = u for r = 0. Having defined x^ r for r \leq n - k - 1 we set

z^ r = s_{n - r - 1}((d_{n - r}x^ r)^{-1}x_{n - r}),\quad x^{r + 1} = x^ rz^ r

A simple calculation, using the given relations, shows that d_ iz^ r = 1 for i < k and i > n - r and that d_{n - r}(z^ r) = (d_{n - r}x^ r)^{-1}x_{n - r}. It follows that d_ ix^{r + 1} = x_ i for i < k and i > n - r - 1. Finally, we take x = x^{n - k} which finishes the proof. \square

Lemma 14.31.7. Let f : X \to Y be a homomorphism of simplicial abelian groups which is termwise surjective. Then f is a Kan fibration of simplicial sets.

Proof. Consider a commutative solid diagram

\xymatrix{ \Lambda _ k[n] \ar[r]_ a \ar[d] & X \ar[d] \\ \Delta [n] \ar[r]^ b \ar@{-->}[ru] & Y }

as in Definition 14.31.1. The map a corresponds to x_0, \ldots , \hat x_ k, \ldots , x_ n \in X_{n - 1} satisfying d_ i x_ j = d_{j - 1} x_ i for i < j, i, j \not= k. The map b corresponds to an element y \in Y_ n such that d_ iy = f(x_ i) for i \not= k. Our task is to produce an x \in X_ n such that d_ ix = x_ i for i \not= k and f(x) = y.

Since f is termwise surjective we can find x \in X_ n with f(x) = y. Replace y by 0 = y - f(x) and x_ i by x_ i - d_ ix for i \not= k. Then we see that we may assume y = 0. In particular f(x_ i) = 0. In other words, we can replace X by \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(f) \subset X and Y by 0. In this case the statement become Lemma 14.31.6. \square

Lemma 14.31.8. Let f : X \to Y be a homomorphism of simplicial abelian groups which is termwise surjective and induces a quasi-isomorphism on associated chain complexes. Then f is a trivial Kan fibration of simplicial sets.

Proof. Consider a commutative solid diagram

\xymatrix{ \partial \Delta [n] \ar[r]_ a \ar[d] & X \ar[d] \\ \Delta [n] \ar[r]^ b \ar@{-->}[ru] & Y }

as in Definition 14.30.1. The map a corresponds to x_0, \ldots , x_ n \in X_{n - 1} satisfying d_ i x_ j = d_{j - 1} x_ i for i < j. The map b corresponds to an element y \in Y_ n such that d_ iy = f(x_ i). Our task is to produce an x \in X_ n such that d_ ix = x_ i and f(x) = y.

Since f is termwise surjective we can find x \in X_ n with f(x) = y. Replace y by 0 = y - f(x) and x_ i by x_ i - d_ ix. Then we see that we may assume y = 0. In particular f(x_ i) = 0. In other words, we can replace X by \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(f) \subset X and Y by 0. This works, because by Homology, Lemma 12.13.6 the homology of the chain complex associated to \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(f) is zero and hence \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(f) \to 0 induces a quasi-isomorphism on associated chain complexes.

Since X is a Kan complex (Lemma 14.31.6) we can find x \in X_ n with d_ i x = x_ i for i = 0, \ldots , n - 1. After replacing x_ i by x_ i - d_ ix for i = 0, \ldots , n we may assume that x_0 = x_1 = \ldots = x_{n - 1} = 0. In this case we see that d_ i x_ n = 0 for i = 0, \ldots , n - 1. Thus x_ n \in N(X)_{n - 1} and lies in the kernel of the differential N(X)_{n - 1} \to N(X)_{n - 2}. Here N(X) is the normalized chain complex associated to X, see Section 14.23. Since N(X) is quasi-isomorphic to s(X) (Lemma 14.23.9) and thus acyclic we find x \in N(X_ n) whose differential is x_ n. This x answers the question posed by the lemma and we are done. \square

Lemma 14.31.9. Let f : X \to Y be a map of simplicial abelian groups. If f is a homotopy equivalence of simplicial sets, then f induces a quasi-isomorphism of associated chain complexes.

Proof. In this proof we will write H_ n(Z) = H_ n(s(Z)) = H_ n(N(Z)) when Z is a simplicial abelian group, with s and N as in Section 14.23. Let \mathbf{Z}[X] denote the free abelian group on X viewed as a simplicial set and similarly for \mathbf{Z}[Y]. Consider the commutative diagram

\xymatrix{ \mathbf{Z}[X] \ar[r]_ g \ar[d] & \mathbf{Z}[Y] \ar[d] \\ X \ar[r]^ f & Y }

of simplicial abelian groups. Since taking the free abelian group on a set is a functor, we see that the horizontal arrow is a homotopy equivalence of simplicial abelian groups, see Lemma 14.28.4. By Lemma 14.27.2 we see that H_ n(g) : H_ n(\mathbf{Z}[X]) \to H_ n(\mathbf{Z}[Y]) is bijective for all n \geq 0.

Let \xi \in H_ n(Y). By definition of N(Y) we can represent \xi by an element y \in N(Y_ n) whose boundary is zero. This means y \in Y_ n with d^ n_0(y) = \ldots = d^ n_{n - 1}(y) = 0 because y \in N(Y_ n) and d^ n_ n(y) = 0 because the boundary of y is zero. Denote 0_ n \in Y_ n the zero element. Then we see that

\tilde y = [y] - [0_ n] \in (\mathbf{Z}[Y])_ n

is an element with d^ n_0(\tilde y) = \ldots = d^ n_{n - 1}(\tilde y) = 0 and d^ n_ n(\tilde y) = 0. Thus \tilde y is in N(\mathbf{Z}[Y])_ n has boundary 0, i.e., \tilde y determines a class \tilde\xi \in H_ n(\mathbf{Z}[Y]) mapping to \xi . Because H_ n(\mathbf{Z}[X]) \to H_ n(\mathbf{Z}[Y]) is bijective we can lift \tilde\xi to a class in H_ n(\mathbf{Z}[X]). Looking at the commutative diagram above we see that \xi is in the image of H_ n(X) \to H_ n(Y).

Let \xi \in H_ n(X) be an element mapping to zero in H_ n(Y). Exactly as in the previous parapgraph we can represent \xi by an element x \in N(X_ n) whose boundary is zero, i.e., d^ n_0(x) = \ldots = d^ n_{n - 1}(x) = d^ n_ n(x) = 0. In particular, we see that [x] - [0_ n] is an element of N(\mathbf{Z}[X])_ n whose boundary is zero, whence defines a lift \tilde\xi \in H_ n(\mathbf{Z}[x]) of \xi . The fact that \xi maps to zero in H_ n(Y) means there exists a y \in N(Y_{n + 1}) whose boundary is f_ n(x). This means d^{n + 1}_0(y) = \ldots = d^{n + 1}_ n(y) = 0 and d^{n + 1}_{n + 1}(y) = f(x). However, this means exactly that z = [y] - [0_{n + 1}] is in N(\mathbf{Z}[y])_{n + 1} and

g([x] - [0_ n]) = [f(x)] - [0_ n] = \text{boundary of }z

This proves that \tilde\xi maps to zero in H_ n(\mathbf{Z}[y]). As H_ n(\mathbf{Z}[X]) \to H_ n(\mathbf{Z}[Y]) is bijective we conclude \tilde\xi = 0 and hence \xi = 0. \square


Comments (2)

Comment #3997 by Ajneet Dhillon on

There is a very minor typo, "This a morphism from an empty..." should read "Thus a morphism..."


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