The higher algebra of weighted colimits

Abstract

We develop a theory of weighted colimits in the framework of weakly bi-enriched $\infty$-categories, an extension of Lurie's notion of enriched $\infty$-categories. We prove an existence result for weighted colimits, study weighted colimits of diagrams of enriched functors, express weighted colimits via enriched coends, characterize the enriched $\infty$-category of enriched presheaves as the free cocompletion under weighted colimits and develop a theory of universally adjoining weighted colimits to an enriched $\infty$-category. We use the latter technique to construct for every presentably $\mathbb{E}_{k+1}$-monoidal $\infty$-category $\mathcal{V}$ for $1 \leq k \leq \infty$ and class $\mathcal{H}$ of $\mathcal{V}$-weights, with respect to which weighted colimits are defined, a presentably $\mathbb{E}_k$-monoidal structure on the $\infty$-category of $\mathcal{V}$-enriched $\infty$-categories that admit $\mathcal{H}$-weighted colimits. Varying $\mathcal{H}$ this $\mathbb{E}_k$-monoidal structure interpolates between the tensor product for $\mathcal{V}$-enriched $\infty$-categories and the relative tensor product for $\infty$-categories presentably left tensored over $\mathcal{V}$. As an application we prove that forming $\mathcal{V}$-enriched presheaves is $\mathbb{E}_k$-monoidal, construct a $\mathcal{V}$-enriched version of Day-convolution and give a new construction of the tensor product for $\infty$-categories presentably left tensored over $\mathcal{V}$ as a $\mathcal{V}$-enriched localization of Day-convolution. As further applications we construct a tensor product for Cauchy-complete $\mathcal{V}$-enriched $\infty$-categories, a tensor product for $(\infty,2)$-categories with (op)lax colimits and a tensor product for stable $(\infty,n)$-categories.