The projection-term conjecture for lax cones in CaTT

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Let KK be a cone over a diagram Γ\Gamma with apex cc, and let Γ⊢t:A\Gamma \vdash t: A be a term of dimension dd. Writing

K≡Γ,c:Ob⁡,Π,K \equiv \Gamma, c: \operatorname{Ob}, \Pi,

assume that σ\sigma, τ\tau, FV⁡\operatorname{FV}, and the operation ∗\ast have the meanings given by the CaTT syntax and the cone construction. Define TtT_t recursively by

Tt=c→tT_t=c\to t

when dim⁡(t)=0\dim(t)=0, and by

Tt=pτ(t)→pσ(t)∗d−1d(1pσ2(t)1∗d−2d(1pσ3(t)2∗d−3d…(1pσd(t)d−1∗0dt)))T_t=p_{\tau(t)}\to p_{\sigma(t)}\mathop{\ast}_{d-1}^{d}\Big(1_{p_{\sigma^2(t)}}^{1}\mathop{\ast}_{d-2}^{d}\Big(1_{p_{\sigma^{3}(t)}}^{2}\mathop{\ast}_{d-3}^{d}\dots\Big(1_{p_{\sigma^{d}(t)}}^{d-1}\mathop{\ast}_{0}^{d}t\Big)\Big)\Big)

when dim⁡(t)>0\dim(t)>0. Then there exists a term ptp_t such that K⊢pt:TtK\vdash p_t:T_t, and

FV⁡(pt:Tt)=⋃pxi∈FV⁡(Π)y∈FV⁡(t:A)y∝τ(pxi)FV⁡(pxi:Txi).\operatorname{FV}(p_t:T_t)=\bigcup_{\substack{p_{x_i}\in\operatorname{FV}(\Pi)\\ y\in\operatorname{FV}(t:A)\\ y\propto\tau(p_{x_i})}}\operatorname{FV}(p_{x_i}:T_{x_i}).

Projection-term conjecture. Under these hypotheses, there exists a term K⊢pt:TtK\vdash p_t:T_t with the recursively specified type TtT_t, and its free variables satisfy the displayed union formula.

This conjecture predicts a uniform construction of projection terms for arbitrary terms, including coherence terms, in the weak higher-categorical setting. The supplied text reports only low-dimensional evidence and gives no resolution status.

References

Primary source

Thomas Jan Mikhail, “A type-theoretic definition of lax (,)-limits”, arXiv:2412.13310 (2025).

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