$2$-Categories from a Gray Perspective

Abstract

In this paper we present $2$-category theory from the perspective of Gray-categories using the graphical calculus of separated surface diagrams. As an extended example we consider cones and limits of $2$-functors. Then we use the canonical adjunction between $2$-computads and $2$-categories to interpret the comparison structure of lax functors and extend the surface diagram calculus with compositor sheets in order to represent and reason about them.