Let us fix a universe and use the words "large" and "small" with respect to that universe. Presentable $\infty$-categories are typically large $\infty$-categories (since, as the previous answer mentioned, small $\infty$-categories are rarely presentable). One might then expect that $Pr^L$ would be a "very large" $\infty$-category (like the $\infty$-category $\widehat{Cat}_\infty$ of possibly large $\infty$-categories). In that case $Pr^L$ would turn from being very large to just large upon increasing the universe, and it would be natural to ask if it then becomes presentable. However, the $\infty$-category $Pr^L$ is actually not "very large", but just large. This is because presentable $\infty$-categories, though being large, are actually determined by a small amount of data. To formally prove this one might consider, for example, for each cardinal $\kappa$, the full subcategory $Pr^L_{\kappa} \subseteq Pr^L$ spanned by $\kappa$-compactly generated presentable $\infty$-categoryes, see section 5.5.7 of higher topos theory. Proposition 5.5.7.10 loc. cit. shows that when $\kappa > \omega$ the $\infty$-category $Pr^L_{\kappa}$ is equivalent to the $\infty$-category of small $\infty$-categories admitting $\kappa$-small colimits, and hence $Pr^L_{\kappa}$ is large (but not very large). Consequently, $Pr^L$ is a large colimit of large $\infty$-categories, and hence large (but again not very large). It follows that if we increase the universe $Pr^L$ will become small, and it will not be so natural to ask if it is presentable. On the other hand, since $Pr^L$ is just large you might ask if it is presentable without increasing the universe. In principle the answer would have to be no, because then $Pr^L$ would contain itself, and we know that such stories do not end well (although I admit I do not have a direct proof in mind, and would like to see one). Morally, $Pr^L$ should not be a presentable $\infty$-category, but some $(\infty,2)$-version of the notion, similarly to how the $\infty$-category of $\infty$-topoi should be something like an $(\infty,2)$-topos (but not an $(\infty,1)$-topos). Unfortunately, I am not aware of these ideas being made precise anywhere.
Yonatan Harpaz
- 9.5k
- 36
- 57