Localizing infinity-categories with hypercovers

Abstract

Given an $\infty$-category with a set of weak equivalences which is stable under pullback, we show that the mapping spaces of the corresponding localization can be described as group completions of $\infty$-categories of spans. Furthermore, we show how these $\infty$-categories of spans are the mapping objects of an $(\infty, 2)$-category, which yields a Segal space model for the localization after a Kan fibrant replacement.