Cofinality via Weighted Colimits

Abstract

We prove a refinement of Quillen's Theorem A, providing necessary and sufficient conditions for a functor to be cofinal with respect to diagrams valued in a fixed $\infty$-category. We deduce this from a general duality phenomenon for weighted colimits, which is of independent interest. As a sample application, due to Betts and Dan-Cohen, we describe a simplified formula for the free $\mathbb{E}_\infty$-algebra on an $\mathbb{E}_0$-algebra in a stable rational $\infty$-category .