So a $2$-group presented by a crossed module


$H\overset{t}{\to} G$,


where $t$ has nontrivial kernel and cokernel, is given just by the data of that kernel and cokernel, the action of the cokernel on the kernel, and the class in the group cohomology $H^3(\text{coker } t, \text{ker } t)$ classifying the extension above. Therefore, a principal $2$-bundle with fiber the $2$-group above (or at least a fake-flat one (?)) should also be presented by this data.


So, how do you do it?


I think that the extension class can be interpreted as a $2$-bundle with fiber $\text{ker t}$ associated via the action I mentioned to some principal $2$-bundle with fiber $\text{coker }t$ over the classifying space $B\text{coker t}$. Then the classifying map of the residual $\text{coker }t$ bundle on my space can be used to pull back this 2-bundle. Is its topological class the same as the principal $2$-bundle with fiber $\text{ker }t$ from the reduction of structure group of my original bundle (assuming it's fake-flat)?


Thanks.



topological class of a flat 2-bundle with nontrivial extension class
Here is the general story (as in section 4.3 of *[Principal infinity-bundles -- General theory](http://arxiv.org/abs/1207.0248)*).


So consider


$$
 A \stackrel{i}{\to} \hat G \stackrel{p}{\to} G
$$


a "central" extension of higher groups, hence a long homotopy fiber sequence of the form


$$
 \array{
 \mathbf{B}A &\stackrel{}{\to}& \mathbf{B}\hat G
 \\
 && \downarrow 
 \\
 && \mathbf{B}G &\stackrel{\mathbf{c}}{\to}& \mathbf{B}^2 A
 }
 \,,
$$


where the map $\mathbf{c}$ is the cocycle that classifies the extension. For instance if $A = \mathbf{B} ker(t)$ then this is a higher group 3-cocycle on $G$ with coefficients in $ker(t)$.


Now by the [pasting law](http://ncatlab.org/nlab/show/pasting%20law) for homotopy pullbacks, if you have a $\hat G$-[principal infinity-bundle](http://ncatlab.org/nlab/show/principal%20infinity-bundle) modulated by a map


$$
 X \stackrel{\hat g}{\to} \mathbf{B}\hat G
$$


with, hence, underlying $G$-principal $\infty$-bundle modulated by


$$
 g : X \stackrel{\hat g}{\to} \mathbf{B}\hat G \stackrel{}{\to} \mathbf{B}G
$$


(this may be an ordinary principal bundle if $G$ is a 0-truncated $\infty$-group, as in your case)


then we get the pasting diagram of homotopy pullbacks of the form


$$
 \array{
 \hat G &\to& \hat P &\to& \ast
 \\
 \downarrow && \downarrow && \downarrow 
 \\
 G &\to& P &\to& \mathbf{B}A &\to& \ast
 \\
 \downarrow && \downarrow && \downarrow && \downarrow
 \\
 \ast &\stackrel{x}{\to}& X &\stackrel{\hat g}{\to}& \mathbf{B}\hat G &\stackrel{}{\to}& \mathbf{B}G
 }
 \,.
$$


Here we read off


* $\hat P \to X$ is the $\hat G$-principal $\infty$-bundle modulated by $\hat g$
* $P \to X$ is the underlying $G$-principal $\infty$-bundle;
* $\hat P \to P$ is an $A$-principal $\infty$-bundle on the total space of $P$ with the special property that restricted to the fibers it becomes the extension $\hat G \to G$ that we started with


This is the stage-wise decomposition of principal $\infty$-bundles which is induced from the extension of $\infty$-groups that we started with. This construction establishes an equivalence of $\infty$-categories between $\hat G$-principal $\infty$-bundles on $X$ and $A$-principal $\infty$-bundles on total spaces of $G$-principal $\infty$-bundles satisfying these compatibility conditions.


An important example of this is the case where $\hat G$ is the [smooth string 2-group](http://ncatlab.org/nlab/show/string+2-group) sitting in the extension


$$
 \mathbf{B} U(1) \to String \to Spin
 \,.
$$


and classfied by the [smooth refinement of the first fractional Pontryagin class](http://ncatlab.org/nlab/show/differential+string+structure) $\frac{1}{2}\mathbf{p}\_1$. Here the above tells us that String-2 bundles are equivalently circle 2-bundles on total spaces of Spin-principal bundles which restrict to the canonical bundle gerbe on each fiber.


(I could say more, but I need to stop as the updating of the formula typesetting almost kills my little computer now. This used to be better with the previous MO version, where I could select "one shot math preview"...)


