Generalizing quasi-categories via model structures on simplicial sets

Abstract: We use Cisinski's machinery to construct and study model structures on the category of simplicial sets whose classes of fibrant objects generalize quasi-categories. We identify a lifting condition which captures the homotopical behavior of quasi-categories without the algebraic aspects and show that there is a model structure whose fibrant objects are precisely those which satisfy this condition. We also identify a localization of this model structure whose fibrant objects satisfy a "special horn lifting" condition similar to the one satisfied by quasi-categories. This special horn model structure leads to a conjecture characterization of the bijective-on-0-simplices trivial cofibrations of the Joyal model structure. We also discuss how these model structures all relate to one another and to the minimal model structure.