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Categories in symbols
Open Mathematics Collaboration∗†
August 29, 2021
Abstract
An introduction to the language of category theory is presented
in a very minimalistic fashion, using the fewest number of symbols
as possible. In this white paper, the focus is on the main con-
cepts underlying categories.
Introduction
1. This is the first paper of the “in symbols” series published in the
Open Journal of Mathematics and Physics.
∗ All authors with their affiliations appear at the end of this white paper.
† Corresponding author: mplobo@uft.edu.br | Open Mathematics Collaboration
1
4. Anyone familiarized with the basic mathematical symbols should be
able to understand the material, with more or less effort depending on
the mathematical maturity of the reader.
Electronic version
7. Categories in symbols as a mathematical (searchable) knowledge base
is also available at
https://omkb.notion.site/9fadacf7796640eba3a5eccf2dc30a2b
or
https://bit.ly/2Y7Zw2D
Meta-linguistic symbols
8. ∶= means that what is on the left is defined by what is on the right
Topics
10. The following definitions are included in the Appendix.
11. Category
2
14. Hom-set
3
32. Concrete/Abstract category
33. Subcategory
34. Diagrams
38. Loop
39. In/Out-degree
4
52. Self-dual
55. Bifunctor
5
Open Invitation
Review, add content, and co-author this white paper [7, 8].
Join the Open Mathematics Collaboration.
Send your contribution to mplobo@uft.edu.br.
Open Science
The latex file for this white paper together with other supplementary
files are available in [9, 10].
Acknowledgements
+ Open Science Framework
https://osf.io
+ Zenodo
https://zenodo.org
Agreement
All authors agree with [8].
References
[1] Roman, Steven. An Introduction to the Language of Category Theory.
Birkhäuser, 2017.
6
[2] Simmons, Harold. An Introduction to Category Theory. Cambridge
University Press, 2011.
[6] Warner, Steve. Pure Mathematics for Beginners. GET 800, 2018.
https://books.google.com/books?vid=dcWrvAEACAAJ
[10] https://zenodo.org/record/5328443
7
Categories in symbols
FIVE BASIC CONCEPTS
• Categories
• Functors
• Natural transformations
• Universality
• Adjoints
DEFINITION
C := CATEGORY
1. OBJECTS
Obj(C ) := class of objects
A ∈ Obj(C ) :≡ A ∈ C
2. MORPHISMS
hom C (A, B) := hom-set for the pair (A, B)
A, B ∈ C ( A and B are not necessarily distinct pair of
objects)
3. DISJUNCTION
hom C (A, B) ∩ hom C (C , D) = ∅ unless A = C and B = D
4. COMPOSITION
f AB :≡ f ∈ hom C (A, B)
g BC :≡ g ∈ hom C (B, C )
∃g ∘ f , f ∘ (g ∘ h) = (f ∘ g) ∘ h , associative
g ∘ f tacitly means dom(g) = codom(f )
5. IDENTITY MORPHISMS
∀A ∈ C ∃1 A ∈ hom C (A, A)
(f AB ∈ hom C (A, B)) → (1 B ∘ f AB = f AB ∧ f AB ∘ 1 A = f AB )
NOTATIONS
P := category poset
(P , ≤) := partially ordered set (poset)
a, b, c ∈ P ; a, b, c ∈ Poset(P , ≤)
a, b, c := objects of P
a > b → hom(a, b) = ∅
a ≤ b → hom(a, b) = {ab}
hom-sets specify ≤ on P
(ab : a → b) ∧ (bc : b → c) → a ≤ b ≤ c → a ≤ c → hom(a, c) = ∅
COMPOSITION: bc ∘ ab = ac
hom(a, a) = {1 a } ; 1 a := identity morphism for a
n := category Poset(N, ≤)
α ⊢ β := α deduces β
′
f αβ ∈ P 1 ; f αβ ∈ P2
P 1 , P 2 := categories of the propositional calculus
wffs := well-formed formulas (of the system) := objects of
Pc
′
f αβ := a specific deduction of β from α
F :C⇒D
f
f : A → B :≡ A → B := morphism
Ff
F f : F A → FB :≡ F A → FB := morphism
composition is preserved
(F := covariant) → (F (g ∘ f ) = F g ∘ F f )
(F := contravariant) → (F (g ∘ f ) = F f ∘ F g)
(F : C ⇒ C ) := functor on C
F : C ⇒ Set
F , G := functors
C , D := categories
COMPOSITION OF FUNCTORS
G ∘ F := GF
F : C ⇒ D; G : D ⇒ E
F , G := functors
C , D, E := categories
f : A → B := set function
f : ℘(A) → ℘(B) := induced function (sends X to f X )
(same notation ~> function + induced function)
F : Set ⇒ Set
f : A → B := set function
f −1 : ℘(B) → ℘(A) := induced inverse function (sends X ⊆ B
to f −1 X ⊆ A )
(f ∘ g) −1 = g −1 ∘ f −1
∀A : A ∈ Obj(C ) → A ∈ Obj(D)
∀f : f ∈ hom C (A, B) → f ∈ hom D (A, B)
F :C⇒D
F := forgetful functor
U : C ⇒ Set on C
U := underlying-set functor
C , D := categories
SmCat := (large) category of all small categories
1. ∀A : A ∈ C → A can be thought of F A
2. ∀f ∈ C , (f : A → B) can be thought of (F f : F A → FB)
3. 1 A can be thought of F 1 : F A → F A
(f ∘ g) ∈ C can be thought of F f ∘ F g
examples
C , D := category
⊆ subclass
1 A := identity map
(F C ) A = {F A ∣ A ∈ C }
(F C ) f = {F f ∣ f ∈ hom C (A, B)}
¬□(F C := subcategory of D)
F C := image of C
(F C ) A := set of objects
(F C ) f := set of morphisms
functor =: F : C ⇒ D
C , D := categories
□ := it is necessary
example
∃(g ∘ f ) → (F (g) ∘ F (f ) = F (g ∘ f ) ∈ F C )
J , C := categories
J (J ) := image of J
¬□(J (J ) := subcategory of C )
¬□(J β ∘ J α ⊆ J (J ))
□ := it is necessary
J := category
J := functor
J (J ) := image of J
m, n, p, q ∈ J
J m, J n, J p, J q ∈ J (J )
α, β, J α , J β := morphisms
DIRECTED GRAPH
D ⊇ V (D) ∪ ( ⋃ A(v i , w j ) )
i,j
a 1 , a 2 ∈ A(v, w) → a 1 ∥ a 2
ℓ ∈ A(v, v) → ℓ := loop
v 1 ∈ V (D)
ind(v 1 ) := in-degree of v 1 := cardinal number of arcs
entering v 1
f f
A → B → C := path
f f
g ∘ f := label of A → B → C
D, E, F, ... := diagrams
D :≡ D(J : J ⇒ C )
f f
(∀A, B : (A, B) ∈ D ∧ A → B ∧ ∃(A, B)len(A → B) ≥
2) ⟹ D commutes
D := diagram in C
C := category
A, B := objects
f := morphism
A, B, f ∈ C
len := length of a directed path
e f g
example 2: E :≡ E → A → B and A → B
E := commutative diagram; f ∥g
commutative condition: f ∘e=g∘e
(∃f L : B → A) ⟹ (f : A → B := left-invertible)
fL ∘ f = 1A
(∃f R : B → A) ⟹ (f : A → B := right-invertible)
f ∘ fR = 1B
f L := left inverse
f R := right inverse
f −1 := (two-sided) inverse of f
A ≈ B := A and B are isomorphic
C := category
□ := it is necessary
¬□ := not necessarily
∃f −1 → ∃!f −1
∃(i 1 ∘ i 2 ) ⟹ (i 1 ∘ i 2 ) := isomorphism ∧ (i 1 ∘ i 2 ) −1 = i −1 −1
2 ∘ i1
f := morphism
i 1 , i 2 := isomorphisms
(∀g, h : C → A . g ∥ h ∧ f ∘ g = f ∘ h → g = h) ⟹ (f :=
left-cancellable (monic or mono))
(∀g, h : B → C . g ∥ h ∧ g ∘ f = h ∘ f → g = h) ⟹ (f :=
right-cancellable (epic or epi))
f : A → B := morphism
C := category
f : A → B := morphism
C := category
(∀A ∈ C ∃!f : I → A) ⟹ (I := initial)
objects =: I , A, T , C ∈ C
C := category
I1 , I2 ∈ C ⟹ I1 ≈ I2
T1 , T2 ∈ C ⟹ T1 ≈ T2
I 1 , I 2 := initial objects
T := terminal object
C := category
≈ isomorphism
Set := category
∃!I ∧ I = ∅
∀A ∈ Set : A := singleton ⟹ A := terminal
I := initial object
singleton set
terminal object
∀f ∈ C : f = h 0B ∘ g A0 ⟹ f := zero morphism
0∈C
f : A → B; h : 0 → B; g:A→0
C := category
any morphism entering or leaving 0 is a zero morphism
0∈C
z:A→B
C := category
A ∈ C → A ∈ C op
hom C op (A, B) = hom C (B, A)
C := category
C op := opposite category (dual category) (morphisms are
reversed)
∘ op := composition in C op
g ∘ op f = f ∘ g
p := property of C
C := category
C op := dual category
isomorphism is self-dual,
A ≈ B in C ↔ A ≈ B in C op
≈ isomorphism
Π = {q i ∣ i ∈ I } := set of properties
Π op = {q iop ∣ i ∈ I } := set of dual properties
p := single property
PRINCIPLE OF DUALITY
Π ⇒ p ↔ Π op ⇒ p op
(C has Π → C has p) ↔ (C has Π op → C has p op )
Π = Π op (Π is self-dual)
Π ⇒ p ↔ Π ⇒ p op
product category: B × C
(f , g) ∘ (h, k) = (f ∘ h, g ∘ k)
F :A×B ⇒C
B, B ′ ∈ B ; C, C′ ∈ C
(B, C ) := objects of B × C
f : B → B′ ; g : C → C′
(f , g) := morphism from B × C to B ′ × C ′
F := bifunctor := functor from A × B to C
Obj(C → ) = hom C (A, B)
(α : A → A ′ , β : B → B ′ ) :=
morphism in C → (pair of arrows in C )
(γ , δ) ∘ (α, β) = (γ ∘ α, δ ∘ β) := composition in C →
(1 A , 1 B ) := identity morphism
A, B, A ′ , B ′ ∈ C
f : A → B; g : A′ → B ′
C := category
C → := category of arrows of C
α : (B, f : A → B) ⇒ (C , g : A → C )
α∘β =α∘β
1B ∘ α = 1B ∘ α = α
α ∘ 1B = α ∘ 1B = α
A := source object
B := target objects
(B, f : A → B) := comma objects
α ∈ (A → C )
1 B := identity morphism for (B, f : A → B)
A, B, C , α ∈ C
α∘f =g
C := category
actually, (A → C ) = (A → I C )
I C := identity functor on C
SLICE CATEGORY
α ′ ∈ (C → A)
g∘α=f
(A → C ) is the dual of (C → A)
COMMA CATEGORY: First Generalization
(A → F ) = {(C , f : A → FC ) ∣ C ∈ C }
α : (C 1 , f 1 : A → F C 1 ) ⇒ (C 2 , f 2 : A → F C 2 )
F : C ⇒ D := functor
source object := A ∈ D
FC := target objects (image of C under F )
α ∈ (A → F ) := comma category
(C , f : A → FC ) := comma objects
F α ′ ∘ f 1 = f 2 , α ′ : C 1 → C 2 in C between "pre-target" objects
(F → A) = {(C , f : FC → A) ∣ C ∈ C }
α : (C 1 , f 1 : F C 1 → A) ⇒ (C 2 , f 2 : F C 2 → A)
Gβ ∘ f = f ′ ∘ F α
(B, C , f : FB → GC ) := object of (F → G)
(F → G) := comma category
F : B ⇒ D; G:C⇒D
F , G := functors
B ∈ B; C ∈ C; f, g ∈ D
B, C , D := categories
f : (C , a) → (D, b) := morphism f : C → D such that F f (a) = b
(∀C 1 : C 1 ∈ C ) ⇒ C ′ := (C 1 ⊔ ∗ ∧ f A : ∗ → A) :=
hom-set category ⇒ (∀A : A ∈ C → A = hom C ′ (∗, A))
(f : A → B in C ) = (f ← : hom C ′ (∗, A) → hom C ′ (∗, B))
(A × B, ρ 1 : A × B → A, ρ 2 : A × B → B) :=
product of A and B
∀(X ∈ C , f : X → A, g : X → B) ∃!θ : X → A × B
object =: A × B ∈ C
morphisms =: ρ 1 , ρ 2 ∈ C
θ := mediating morphism (map)
ρ 1 , ρ 2 := projection maps
the diagram commutes, ρ 1 ∘ θ = f and ρ 2 ∘ θ = g
A, B ∈ C := category
α = β ↔ ρ1 ∘ α = ρ1 ∘ β ∧ ρ2 ∘ α = ρ2 ∘ β
α, β : X → A × B
(application, uniqueness, mediating morphism)
P 1 , P 2 ∈ Poset(P ) → P 1 × P 2 := supremum
examples
objects =: C 1 , C 2 ∈ C := category
θ :≡ (f 1 × f 2 : (A 1 × A 2 , α 1 , α 2 ) → (B 1 ×
B 2 , β 1 , β 2 )) := product morphism
f1 : A1 → B1 ; f2 : A2 → B2
α i , β i := projection maps for A 1 × A 2 and B 1 × B 2 ,
respectively
morphisms =: f 1 , f 2 ∈ C
C := category with binary products
categorical product
goal: X → B1 × B2
define: δ1 : X → B1 , δ2 : X → B2
use the definition of product
αi : A1 × A2 → Ai
fi : Ai → Bi
∃!θ : β 1 ∘ (f 1 × f 2 ) = f 1 ∘ α 1 and β 2 ∘ (f 1 × f 2 ) = f 2 ∘ α 2