Homotopy colimits in the category of small categories

Abstract

In (13), Quillen defines a higher algebraic K-theory by taking homotopy groups of the classifying spaces of certain categories. Certain questions in K-theory then become questions such as when do functors induce a homotopy equivalence of classifying spaces, or when is a square of categories homotopy cartesian? Quillen has given some techniques for answering such questions. F. Waldhausen has extended these ideas in (19), and broadened the range of applications to include geometric topology (20).