An alternative description of symmetric monoidal categories, and symmetric 2-groups

Abstract

An equivalent description of a symmetric monoidal category is introduced in which, instead of separate associator and commutator isomorphisms satisfying the usual coherence axioms, we simply have associo-commutator isomorphisms satisfying their own coherence laws. In particular, this yields an alternative description of a symmetric 2-group and leads to a cohomological classification of these objects in terms of Eilenberg-MacLane cubical cohomology for abelian groups.