Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2001/iii/paper-17/2/ii/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2001 iii Paper 17 2 ii Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Let be the set of connected components of a category: two objects of a category are identified when joined by a finite zigzag of morphisms. Let be the discrete category on , and let be the indiscrete category on , with exactly one morphism for every ordered pair of objects.
A functor must give the same object value along every arrow, hence along every zigzag. Conversely a function uniquely defines such a functor. A functor is just a choice of an object of a category for each element of . A functor is likewise determined by an arbitrary object function, since its arrow images are forced and always compose correctly. ThereforeThis is the adjoint chain for the objects of a category:
New to topics? Read the docs here!