Iterated monoidal categories

We develop a notion of an n-fold monoidal category and show that it corresponds in a precise way to the notion of an n-fold loop space. Specifically, the group completion of the nerve of such a category is an n-fold loop space, and free n-fold monoidal categories give rise to a finite simplicial operad of the same homotopy type as the classical little cubes operad used to parametrize the higher H-space structure of an n-fold loop space. We also show directly that this operad has the same homotopy type as the n-th Smith filtration of the Barratt-Eccles operad and the n-th filtration of Berger's complete graph operad. Moreover, this operad contains an equivalent preoperad which gives rise to Milgram's small model for Omega(2)Sigma(2)X when n = 2 and is very closely related to Milgram's model of Omega(n)Sigma(n)X for n>2. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.