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Fix a prime number $p$. Take the full subcategory of finitely generated abelian groups with no element of order $p^2$. It is closed under finite direct sums and subgroups. If $t_p(G)$ is the $p$-primary torsion subgroup, the map $G\to R(G)=G/(p{t}_p(G))$ is a reflection into this subcategory: every map to an allowed group kills $p{t}_p(G)$. Therefore ordinary kernels in a category and reflected cokernels in a category supply all finite categorical limits and colimits. No nonzero finitely generated group has zero reflection, so the epimorphisms are precisely surjections and are all conormal epimorphisms. Multiplication by $p^2$ on $\mathbb{Z}$ is a monomorphism but not a normal monomorphism: its cokernel here is $\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z}$, whose kernel is $p\mathbb{Z}$, not $p^2\mathbb{Z}$. Multiplication by $p$ is normal; composing it with itself gives this nonnormal monomorphism.

Every functor $F:\mathcal{C}\to \mathbf{Set}$ on a small category is the colimit of the covariant representable functors $\mathcal{C}(A,-)$ indexed by the opposite of its category of elements. The cocone indexed by $(A,x)$ sends $f:A\to B$ to $F(f)(x)$. By the Yoneda lemma, a compatible cocone into $G$ is exactly a natural transformation $F\to G$. The opposite indexing direction is essential because precomposition reverses the representing-object arrow.

For a categorical presheaf $P$ on a small category, its category of elements has objects $(c,x)$ with $x\in P(c)$ and arrows $u:(c,x)\to (d,y)$ satisfying $P(u)y=x$. The canonical natural transformation $H_c\to P$ sends $v:a\to c$ to $P(v)x$. These maps exhibit $P$ as the displayed colimit. At $a$, a representative $(c,x,v)$ maps to $P(v)x$, with inverse $z\mapsto (a,z,1_a)$. The arrow $v:(a,P(v)x)\to (c,x)$ identifies every representative with its canonical inverse image, proving the bijection and the colimit universal property.

The category whose objects are finite sets and whose morphisms are all functions between them. Finite categorical limits and colimits are the ordinary set constructions. It is essentially small: a skeleton of a category consists of the sets $\{0,\dots ,n-1\}$ for $n\in \mathbb{N}$. Its Yoneda embedding preserves limits but generally does not preserve coproducts: evaluating $y1⨿y1$ at a two-element set gives two elements, while evaluating $y2$ gives four.

In an additive category with finite categorical limits and colimits in which every epimorphism is a conormal epimorphism, closure of normal monomorphisms under composition forces every monomorphism to be normal. To prove this, write a monomorphism $m$ as $kg$, where $k=\ker \mathrm{coker}m$, and put $l=\ker \mathrm{coker}g$. If $kl=\ker t$ were normal, $tm=0$ would force $tk=0$, hence $l$ would be an isomorphism. This makes $\mathrm{coker}g=0$, so $g$ is epic as well as monic. An epic monomorphism which is a cokernel is invertible, forcing $m$ to be normal. Contrapositively, any failure of normality provides two normal monomorphisms whose composite is not normal.

A categorical presheaf is representable if its elements projection has a colimit and the presheaf preserves the opposite-indexed categorical limit of that projection. Compatibility of all distinguished elements then supplies a universal element at the colimit object. The preservation requirement must cover this diagram even when its indexing category is large.

Relative to a specified class of diagram shapes, a functor preserves colimits when it takes each existing colimit cocone of those shapes to a colimit cocone. A left adjoint preserves all existing colimits, including large ones when their universal properties are meaningful. Small-colimit preservation alone does not imply preservation of a class-indexed colimit.

For commuting actions of finite groups $G,H$ with coprime orders, the canonical map $A^G/H\to (A/H{)}^G$ is a bijection. It is always injective. On any $G$-stable $H$-orbit, all $G$-orbits have the same size, dividing both $|G|$ and the $H$-orbit size, hence dividing $|H|$. Coprimality forces that size to be one, proving surjectivity. Thus categorical limits indexed by $G$ commute with colimits indexed by $H$ in the Category of sets.

A compact object (mathematics) is an object whose represented Hom functor preserves filtered colimits. This preservation condition differs from the extra right-adjoint property defining a tiny object.

For a finite diagram in a category $D:\mathcal{J}\to \mathcal{C}$, set $X={\coprod }_{j}D(j)$ and $Y={\coprod }_{a:i\to j}D(i)$. The two maps $s,t:Y\rightrightarrows X$ on the $a$-summand are the injection of $D(i)$ and the injection of $D(j)$ after $D(a)$. Their coequalizer is the colimit of $D$. The pair $[s,1_X],[t,1_X]:Y⨿X\rightrightarrows X$ is a reflexive pair with the same coequalizer. Thus finite coproduct in a category constructions and coequalizers of reflexive pairs suffice, including the empty coproduct for the empty diagram. Finite products cannot replace coproducts here: the poset with elements $0,a,b,u_0,u_1,\dots$, order $0<a,b<u_{n+1}<u_n$, and incomparable $a,b$ has finite meets and top $u_0$, hence finite categorical products. Every reflexive parallel pair is an equal pair and has its identity as coequalizer, but $a,b$ have no least upper bound and therefore no coproduct.

The covariant version of the Yoneda embedding sends an object to its outgoing representable functor. Precomposition reverses arrows. The Yoneda lemma gives $\mathrm{Nat}(Y(A),Y(B))\cong \mathcal{C}(B,A)$, so it is full and faithful. It carries existing colimits in $\mathcal{C}$ to pointwise categorical limits.

For a presheaf on a category, the categorical coend identifies $(fh,x)$ with $(h,X(f)x)$. The displayed isomorphism sends the class of $(h:U\to W,x\in X(W))$ to $X(h)x$, with inverse $y\mapsto [1_U,y]$. The coend relation makes these inverse and natural. Consequently every presheaf is the colimit of representables indexed by its category of elements.

For a diagram of abelian groups indexed by a nonempty directed poset, take the set colimit as classes $[i,x]$, where $[i,x]=[j,y]$ when their images agree at some common later index. Define $[i,x]+[j,y]=[k,D_{ik}x+D_{jk}y]$ at any common upper bound $k$. Directedness and functoriality prove independence of choices. Negation is $-[i,x]=[i,-x]$ and zero is the class of any zero. This is the unique group structure making the canonical maps homomorphisms, and every compatible group cocone factors by a unique homomorphism. Hence the forgetful functor creates these colimits, even when transition maps are not injective.

Reversing the arrows in a categorical statement produces its dual statement. A theorem holding for all categories therefore has a dual theorem obtained by applying it to the opposite category; for example, categorical limits are exchanged with colimits.

A filtered colimit in a category is a colimit whose indexing category is a small filtered category. In the Category of sets, filtered colimits commute with finite limits in sets. A filtered colimit of modules is an example of this general categorical construction.

If $\mathcal{C}$ has finite colimits and a monad $T$ preserves reflexive coequalizers, its Eilenberg-Moore category has finite colimits. The forgetful functor creates reflexive coequalizers preserved by $T$. The coproduct presentation for monad algebras yields binary coproducts, and $F0$ is initial. Any pair $a,b:X\rightrightarrows Y$ can then be replaced by the reflexive pair $[a,1],[b,1]:X+Y\rightrightarrows Y$, with identical coequalizers. Finite coproducts and coequalizers give all finite colimits.

A covariant functor into a Grothendieck topos is flat when its tensor extension from presheaves preserves finite limits. For set values, its category of elements with arrows carrying source elements to target elements is cofiltered; equivalently the functor is a filtered colimit of covariant representables. If the indexing category has finite limits, flatness is equivalent to preservation of finite limits. For a site, cover-to-joint-epimorphism continuity adds the condition needed by the Diaconescu equivalence for geometric morphisms.

For a small category with finite limits, a set-valued functor preserving them has a category of elements with finite limits, so its opposite is a filtered category. The covariant density presentation is therefore a filtered colimit of representable functors. Conversely, representable functors preserve categorical limits, and filtered colimits commute with finite limits in sets, proving the criterion.

For a small category $\mathcal{C}$, its presheaf category is the free enlargement under small colimits. Each categorical presheaf $P$ is the colimit of the diagram sending $(C,x)\in \int P$ to the representable presheaf $yC$. The map at $(C,x)$ sends $f:A\to C$ to $P(f)x$. It is surjective at each $A$ because $z\in P(A)$ is the image of $1_A$ at $(A,z)$. If two representatives have the same image $z$, they are both identified with the representative $1_A$ at $(A,z)$ by arrows in the category of elements, proving injectivity. Thus $P\cong {\mathrm{colim}}_{(C,x)\in \int P}yC$. For a cocomplete target, a functor on $\mathcal{C}$ extends by these colimits, uniquely up to natural isomorphism among colimit-preserving extensions.