Homotopy limits and colimits and enriched homotopy theory

Abstract

Homotopy limits and colimits are homotopical replacements for the usual limits and colimits of category theory, which can be approached either using classical explicit constructions or the modern abstract machinery of derived functors. Our first goal in this paper is expository: we explain both approaches and a proof of their equivalence. Our second goal is to generalize this result to enriched categories and homotopy weighted limits, showing that the classical explicit constructions still give the right answer in the abstract sense. This result partially bridges the gap between classical homotopy theory and modern abstract homotopy theory. To do this we introduce a notion of "enriched homotopical categories", which are more general than enriched model categories, but are still a good place to do enriched homotopy theory. This demonstrates that the presence of enrichment often simplifies rather than complicates matters, and goes some way toward achieving a better understanding of "the role of homotopy in homotopy theory."