For small categories, the object functor has left adjoint the discrete category functor and right adjoint the indiscrete category functor. Connected components, defined by zigzags of morphisms, give a left adjoint to the discrete functor. There is no further left adjoint: fails the equalizer of two functors selecting distinct objects of the indiscrete two-object category. There is no further right adjoint: the indiscrete functor fails the coproduct of two singleton sets.
Use the preservation obstructions to extending an adjoint chain: a functor having a further left adjoint must preserve categorical limits, while one having a further right adjoint must preserve colimits.
At the left end of the presheaf category chain, does not preserve the terminal object. The terminal categorical presheaf has singleton value everywhere, whereas because . Thus cannot itself be a right adjoint. At the right end, does not preserve the initial object: since the empty open set is proper. Thus cannot itself be a left adjoint.
For the category of small categories chain, take two functors from the terminal category to the two-object indiscrete category , selecting its distinct objects. Their equalizer is the empty category. But their images under are the same function between singleton sets, whose equalizer is a singleton. Hence does not preserve equalizers and has no further left adjoint. Finally, is the two-object discrete category, while has arrows between its distinct objects. The canonical comparison is not an isomorphism of categories, so fails to preserve this coproduct and has no further right adjoint.
Neither chain extends in either direction.
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. Therefore
This is the adjoint chain for the objects of a category:
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 category
It 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.