Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2001 iii Paper 17 2 ii Solution 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:
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 18 6 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Let be the discrete category on , and the indiscrete category, with exactly one morphism between each ordered pair of objects. A functor is precisely a map ; a functor is precisely a map . Thus .
Let be the set of connected components, where objects are related by finite zigzags of morphisms in either direction. A functor must take the endpoints of every morphism to the same point, so it is exactly a map . This gives the adjoint chain for the objects of a categoryIt cannot extend to the left. The two functors from the terminal category to selecting distinct objects have empty equalizer in . Applying gives two identical maps between singleton sets, whose equalizer is a singleton. Thus does not preserve equalizers and cannot be a right adjoint.
It cannot extend to the right either. The coproduct of two copies of in is the discrete two-object category. But is the indiscrete two-object category, with morphisms between its distinct objects. They are not isomorphic, or even equivalent. Hence does not preserve binary coproducts and cannot be a left adjoint. Neither end of this chain has a further adjoint.
A functor admitting a further left adjoint must itself be a right adjoint and preserve all existing categorical limits. A functor admitting a further right adjoint must preserve all existing colimits. Failure to preserve a single terminal object, equalizer, initial object or coproduct therefore rules out the corresponding extension. In the adjoint chain for the objects of a category, connected components fail an equalizer and the indiscrete category functor fails a binary coproduct.