Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2009/iii/paper-23/2/b/solution

Write an object of the slice category as . Its morphisms are arrows in commuting with these structure maps, and the forgetful functor removes the structure map.
Suppose a square in the slice becomes a pullback square in , with vertex . Given a compatible pair of slice arrows and , the underlying pullback gives a unique with the required projection equations. If is one projection, then
where is the structure map. Thus is automatically a slice morphism, and underlying uniqueness gives uniqueness in the slice. Hence reflects pullbacks.
Now let be an equaliser of slice arrows . Consider any underlying arrow with . Give the structure map . Then is a slice arrow into , and the slice equaliser gives a unique with . Conversely any underlying with that equation automatically obeys , so there are no additional factorization possibilities outside the slice. Therefore has the ordinary equaliser universal property in . This proves preserves equalisers.

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