Relative $2$-Segal spaces

Abstract

We introduce a relative version of the $2$-Segal simplicial spaces defined by Dyckerhoff and Kapranov and G\'{a}lvez-Carrillo, Kock and Tonks. Examples of relative $2$-Segal spaces include the categorified unoriented cyclic nerve, real pseudoholomorphic polygons in almost complex manifolds and the $\mathcal{R}_{\bullet}$-construction from Grothendieck-Witt theory. We show that a relative $2$-Segal space defines a categorical representation of the Hall algebra associated to the base $2$-Segal space. In this way, after decategorification we recover a number of known constructions of Hall algebra representations. We also describe some higher categorical interpretations of relative $2$-Segal spaces.