Categorification of Algebras: 2-Algebras

Abstract: This paper introduces a categorification of $k$-algebras called 2 -algebras, where k is a commutative ring. We define the 2-algebras as a 2-category with single object in which collections of all 1-morphisms and all 2-morphisms are k-algebras. It is shown that the category of 2 -algebras is equivalent to the category of crossed modules in commutative k -algebras. Also we define the notion of homotopy for 2-algebras and we explore the relations of crossed module homotopy and 2-algebra homotopy.