From analytic monads to $\infty$-operads through Lawvere theories

Abstract

We show that Lurie's model for $\infty$-operads (or more precisely a "flagged" or "pinned" version thereof) is equivalent to the analytic monads previously studied by Gepner, Kock, and the author, with an $\infty$-operad $\mathcal{O}$ corresponding to the monad for $\mathcal{O}$-algebras in spaces. In particular, the $\infty$-operad $\mathcal{O}$ is completely determined by this monad. To prove this we study the Lawvere theories of analytic monads, and show that these are precisely pinned $\infty$-operads in a slight (equivalent) variant of Lurie's definition, where finite pointed sets are replaced by spans in finite sets.