Given two Lie 2-groups, we study the problem of integrating a weak morphism between the corresponding Lie 2-algebras to a weak morphism between the Lie 2-groups. To do so, we develop a theory of butterflies for 2-term L∞-algebras. In particular, we obtain a new description of the bicategory of 2-term L∞-algebras. An interesting observation here is that the role played by 1-connected Lie groups in Lie theory is now played by 2-connected Lie 2-groups. Using butterflies, we also give a functorial construction of 2-connected covers of Lie 2 -groups. Based on our results, we expect that a similar pattern generalizes to Lie n-groups and Lie n-algebras.

We define stacky Lie groups to be group objects in the 2-category of differentiable stacks. We show that every connected and étale stacky Lie group is equivalent to a crossed module of the form (Γ,G) where Γ is the fundamental group of the given stacky Lie group and G is the connected and simply connected Lie group integrating the Lie algebra of the stacky group. Our result is closely related to a strictification result of Baez and Lauda.

Given a Lie n-algebra, we provide an explicit construction of its integrating Lie n-group. This extends work done by Getzler in the case of nilpotent -algebras. When applied to an ordinary Lie algebra, our construction yields the simplicial classifying space of the corresponding simply connected Lie group. In the case of the string Lie 2-algebra of Baez and Crans, we obtain the simplicial nerve of their model of the string group.