On the homotopy theory of n-types

Abstract

An n-truncated model structure on simplicial (pre-)sheaves is described having as weak equivalences maps that induce isomorphisms on certain homotopy sheaves only up to degree n. Starting from one of Jardine's intermediate model structures we construct such an n-type model structure via Bousfield-Friedlander localization and exhibit useful generating sets of trivial cofibrations. Injectively fibrant objects in these categories are called n-hyperstacks. The whole setup can consequently be viewed as a description of the homotopy theory of higher hyperstacks. More importantly, we construct analogous n-truncations on simplicial groupoids and prove a Quillen equivalence between these settings. We achieve a classification of n-types of simplicial presheaves in terms of (n-1)-types of presheaves of simplicial groupoids. Our classification holds for general n. Therefore this can also be viewed as the homotopy theory of (pre-)sheaves of (weak) higher groupoids.