The category has sets as objects and partial functions as morphisms. Composition is defined where both successive functions are defined. The nowhere-defined map is a zero morphism, and the empty set is its sole actual zero object. Adjoining a tagged basepoint turns a partial function into a total basepoint-preserving function, giving an equivalence of categories with the category of pointed sets.
Essential surjectivity 2026-10-05
A functor is essentially surjective when every object of is isomorphic to for some . Together with full and faithful, this characterizes an equivalence of categories under the appropriate axiom of choice convention. For large categories, choosing a quasi-inverse on all objects requires a universe or a class-choice convention.
Isomorphism of categories 2026-10-05
An isomorphism of categories is a functor with a strictly inverse functor. It is equivalently bijective on objects and on each hom-set. An equivalence of categories only requires inverse composites up to invertible natural transformations. For example, the category of partial functions and the category of pointed sets are equivalent but their actual object collections prevent an isomorphism: the former has one zero object, the empty set, while the latter has distinct singleton pointed set objects that are all zero objects.
If induces a monad , the comparison maps to and maps a Kleisli category arrow to . It is full and faithful, by the adjunction bijection . Consequently it is part of an equivalence of categories precisely when every object of is isomorphic to some .
Monadic adjunction Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
An adjunction is monadic when its comparison functor from the right-hand category to the Eilenberg-Moore category of the induced monad is an equivalence.
The induced monad determines this comparison; Beck's monadicity theorem gives a criterion for it to be an equivalence of categories.
A morphism of schemes defines a natural transformation by . We construct the inverse correspondence.
Let be a natural transformation, and choose an affine open cover . Regard as an element of and set
Here and below the equivalence of categories in the question lets us write the restricted functor of points on affine schemes, contravariantly, rather than on commutative rings, covariantly. If is an affine open subscheme, naturality for its two inclusions gives
Such cover the overlap even when that overlap is not an affine scheme. Consequently the agree and glue to a morphism of schemes .
It remains to check all elements of the restricted functor of points, not only the chosen inclusions. Given an affine scheme and , cover each by affine open subschemes . On such a , factor . Applying naturality first to and then to gives
These local equalities prove . The glued is unique, since its restrictions to all are prescribed. Hence
so the assignment is fully faithful.
If , the natural isomorphism and its inverse correspond to morphisms of schemes and . Their compositions induce the identity natural transformations, and faithfulness implies , . Conversely, an isomorphism of schemes induces a natural isomorphism. Thus
A form of Beck's monadicity theorem compatible with equivalence-based monadic adjunctions is this. A functor is monadic exactly when it has a left adjoint, is a conservative functor, and has coequalizers of all pairs whose images under admit a split coequalizer, with preserving these coequalizers. In the strict lifting formulation, one states creation of these coequalizers. Such a pair is a functor-split coequalizer pair; the splitting is required in the base category, not necessarily upstairs.
A split coequalizer fork has maps and such that
Every functor preserves this coequalizer: if , then , and is split epic, so the factor through is unique. The same equations remain true after applying any functor.
For necessity, let be the monad algebra forgetful functor. It has the free-algebra left adjoint. It reflects isomorphisms, because if an algebra map is invertible in , the equation rearranges to .
If two algebra maps have an underlying split coequalizer , then and are also coequalizers. Since equalizes , there is a unique satisfying
After composing with the epimorphism , the equation reduces to the unit law for . After composing with the epimorphism , the equation reduces to . Thus is an algebra and an algebra map. If an algebra map equalizes , its unique underlying factor satisfies : this follows by precomposing with the epimorphism . Therefore this is a coequalizer upstairs as well. This proves that the monad algebra forgetful functor creates split coequalizers. The same properties transport through the comparison equivalence of categories, with the object-lifting convention distinguished in Question 9.
For sufficiency, suppose the three conditions hold, choose , and let with comparison . For each algebra , consider the pair
Its image has coequalizer . It is split: take , , , and . The monad and algebra laws give
By hypothesis the pair has a coequalizer and is also a coequalizer. Identify with using the unique coequalizer isomorphism, so . Since is carried by to an algebra map from the free algebra, the transported action satisfies
But is a split epimorphism, with right inverse , so . Hence : the comparison is essentially surjective.
Next, for every , put . The counit of an adjunction coequalizes
This follows from naturality of the counit. The image pair has the split coequalizer , as above. If is the hypothesized preserved coequalizer, the induced map has invertible because both and coequalize the same pair. Conservativity makes invertible. Therefore itself is a coequalizer.
Let be an algebra map, so . Set . Under the adjunction transpose bijection, the two composites of with the displayed presentation pair correspond respectively to and . They are equal, so factors uniquely through , giving with . Applying yields
Since is split epic, . Thus is full. If , the transposes of and are equal, so those composites agree. The counit is epic, hence ; thus is faithful.
The comparison is full, faithful and essentially surjective, so it is an equivalence of categories. This proves monadicity. The argument also explains the role of each hypothesis: split base presentations construct all algebras, and reflection of isomorphisms turns the counit presentations into actual coequalizers upstairs.
First prove the exact lifting statement for the forgetful functor . Take any diagram in a category of algebras for a monad whose underlying diagram has a chosen categorical limit . The arrows form a categorical cone, since every diagram arrow is a morphism of algebras for a monad. Thus the universal property gives a unique arrow satisfying
The projections are jointly monic: two arrows into with the same composites with every are equal. Therefore the algebra identities can be checked after these projections. For the unit,
For multiplication,
The algebra law for makes the right-hand sides equal. Thus is an algebra for a monad, and each is a morphism of algebras for a monad. Its action is unique with this property.
Given an algebra cone , let be its unique underlying mediating map. Then
so by joint monicity. Hence is an algebra map, proving the lifted cone is limiting. This establishes that the monad algebra forgetful functor creates limits, without any assumption that preserves limits.
For a monadic adjunction, the comparison satisfies . If is an isomorphism of categories over the base, the preceding unique lift transports back literally, so is a limit-creating functor. If monadic means that is only an equivalence of categories, the precise conclusion is creation of limits up to isomorphism: the lifted algebra is isomorphic to an object , and its limiting cone transports along that isomorphism. Full faithfulness supplies the arrows and their uniqueness.
This distinction concerns prescribed underlying objects, not existence of limits. Literal creation does not follow from an arbitrary equivalence alone. For example, the inclusion of the one-object category into the two-object indiscrete category, choosing one of its objects, is an equivalence of categories and is monadic under the equivalence convention. Either object of the target is terminal, but the other chosen terminal object has no literal object preimage. Thus the strict reading of the requested assertion needs the strict comparison convention; the equivalence-invariant statement is proved above.
A monad on consists of an endofunctor and natural transformations , satisfying the unit and multiplication of a monad laws
An algebra for a monad is an object equipped with such that
A morphism of algebras for a monad is a morphism satisfying . Identities and composition obey this equation, giving the Eilenberg-Moore category and its forgetful functor .
For an adjunction with induced monad , the Eilenberg-Moore comparison functor is
The functor is monadic when it has such a left adjoint and this comparison is an equivalence of categories; a stricter convention requires an isomorphism of categories over . We will identify which limit-lifting conclusion each convention supports in part (iii).
An adjunction induces the monad with unit and multiplication . The Eilenberg-Moore comparison functor sends to . A monadic adjunction is one for which that comparison is an equivalence of categories. Iterating comparisons, when their left adjoints exist, gives a tower; its monadic length is the number of steps until equivalence, with length zero for an equivalence and length one for a monadic adjunction that is not already an equivalence.
The precise monadicity theorem says that a right adjoint is monadic exactly when it reflects isomorphisms and creates coequalizers of pairs whose images admit split coequalizers.
Write for one-step forgetting. For , the free extension of nested partial unary operations is the familiar set , with and unit . A map into a set with endomorphism extends uniquely by .
For , let
Keep and all its old operations, and adjoin the disjoint set . On the new points define ; every old operation with is undefined there. Define the new top operation only at the old eligible points, by for .
These domains satisfy the defining rules of the nested partial unary operation category: the new points have no -fixed points, so none has any higher operation defined. Given , extend it by
The expression is defined because sends eligible points to eligible points and is total. It preserves every defined operation; preservation of at old points determines , and preservation of determines the whole chain. Thus it is the unique extension, proving .
Figure 1.
The free new operation sends each eligible point to a new value with a free chain under the first operation
. Details.
For monadicity, reflects isomorphisms: an isomorphism of the lower structures takes bijectively to , so the inverse of a map preserving the new operation preserves it too.
Next prove the split-coequalizer lifting for a fixed-point-domain operation. Let be -morphisms and suppose their lower images have a split coequalizer , with , satisfying
Equip with on its required eligible domain. The lower-structure maps preserve eligibility. For eligible ,
so preserves the top operation. If coequalizes , its lower factor satisfies
Thus it is a morphism of the full structures. Uniqueness of the lifted operation follows from the eligible section and surjectivity of . This creates the specified coequalizer, so the Beck monadicity theorem proves each one-step adjunction is monadic.
Finally, every free top operation just constructed has no fixed points: for it shifts the free chain, while for it sends old eligible points to new distinct points and is undefined on the new points. Freely adjoining any further operation therefore changes nothing, since its required domain is empty. For , the monad induced on by the long free-and-forgetful adjunction is consequently the same monad, including unit and multiplication, as that for .
The first comparison category is thus equivalent to . Its algebra action evaluates the new formal value by , so the comparison from retains precisely that next operation and is the remaining forgetful functor. Iteration recovers one additional operation at each step. These remaining comparisons are not equivalences while an operation is still forgotten: take a two-element set with all retained operations equal to the identity, and choose the next operation to be the identity in one extension and the transposition in another. Higher operations can be identities in the first case and undefined in the second. The identity on the retained structure is not a morphism between these extensions, so the forgetful functor is not full. This includes .
The monadic tower for nested partial unary operations therefore has exactly the claimed length:
A monad on a category consists of an endofunctor , a unit natural transformation , and a multiplication , satisfying
An algebra for a monad is with and . A morphism of algebras for a monad satisfies . These objects and arrows form the Eilenberg-Moore category .
For an adjunction with , the monad induced by an adjunction is , with . The Eilenberg-Moore comparison functor is and . The functor is monadic when this comparison is an equivalence of categories; this is a monadic adjunction.
The precise monadicity theorem says that is monadic exactly when it has a left adjoint, reflects isomorphisms, and satisfies the following condition: whenever the image of a parallel pair in admits a split coequalizer in , the pair has a coequalizer in and preserves that coequalizer. Equivalently, these coequalizers are created up to the canonical isomorphism identifying their underlying coequalizer objects. Here a split coequalizer of consists of , , and with
These equations prove its universal property: if , then , and is the unique factor through . Every functor preserves these equations, so every functor preserves split coequalizers.
First consider the forgetful functor . It has the free algebra functor as a left adjoint: the inverse transposition formulas are and . An monad algebra morphism whose underlying arrow is invertible has an algebra-morphism inverse, by rearranging its structure equation. Thus reflects isomorphisms.
Suppose have an underlying split coequalizer . Applying gives a coequalizer of . The equation therefore gives a unique with . The monad algebra laws follow by cancellation: composing with the epimorphism reduces it to , and composing with reduces it to . Both and are epimorphisms because they remain split coequalizers. Thus is an algebra for a monad and is an monad algebra morphism. If an algebra map equalizes , its underlying factor obeys , since this equation becomes after composition with . This proves that creates the required coequalizers. An equivalence of categories transfers these properties to any monadic , proving necessity.
Conversely assume the three conditions and write . Given , take the pair
Its image is , with split coequalizer : the splittings are and , because
Let be its coequalizer in . Preservation gives a canonical isomorphism under which . Transporting the algebra action of along this isomorphism gives . Naturality of the adjunction counit says that is an monad algebra morphism, hence . But too, and is a split epimorphism, with section . Therefore . Every algebra is consequently isomorphic to some .
It remains to establish full faithfulness, rather than merely construct objects. For , put . The adjunction counit coequalizes . The coequalizer supplied by the hypothesis has underlying coequalizer . The induced arrow from that coequalizer object to is therefore sent by to an isomorphism; reflection of isomorphisms makes it invertible. Thus itself is this coequalizer.
Now let be an monad algebra morphism, and put . The arrow coequalizes the two arrows in the preceding presentation. To check this directly, use transposition along : the transposes of and are respectively and , which agree by the algebra-morphism equation. Hence a unique satisfies . Applying gives ; cancellation of the split epimorphism yields . Finally, any arrow satisfies by naturality, so two arrows with equal image under are equal by the coequalizer property. The comparison is full and faithful and essentially surjective, hence an equivalence of categories. This proves the theorem.
For the application, the free compact Hausdorff space on a set is the Stone-Čech compactification of the corresponding discrete space. Its standard extension property says that every set map , for compact Hausdorff , extends uniquely to a continuous map . This constructs the required left adjoint. Also a continuous bijection from a compact space to a Hausdorff space is a homeomorphism, so reflects isomorphisms.
Take continuous maps whose underlying functions have a split coequalizer with splittings . The splittings need not be continuous. Let
The set is compact and hence closed. Since , it is contained in . Conversely . Thus
The set of triples on the right is closed in the compact Hausdorff space , so its projection onto the first two coordinates is compact and closed. This proves that the equivalence relation is closed, without assuming continuity of either splitting.
Give the quotient topology. The allowed closed-relation criterion makes it a compact Hausdorff space. If a continuous map equalizes , the split-coequalizer property makes it constant on the fibres of ; its unique factor is continuous by the quotient topology. Hence this is a coequalizer in compact Hausdorff spaces, preserved by . Its topology is forced uniquely, since any continuous surjection from a compact space to a Hausdorff space is a quotient map. All three conditions hold, and therefore the forgetful functor from compact Hausdorff spaces to sets is monadic.
For , let be the induced monad. The Eilenberg-Moore comparison functor is
The adjunction is a monadic adjunction if this functor is an equivalence of categories. To define monadic length, start with and form the comparison into the Eilenberg-Moore category of its induced monad. When has a left adjoint, repeat this construction, and continue with the subsequent comparison adjunctions. The length is the least number of comparison steps after which the comparison is an equivalence; an equivalence has length zero and a monadic non-equivalence has length one. The successive left adjoints will all be explicit in this example.
The precise monadicity theorem states: a functor with a left adjoint is monadic if and only if it reflects isomorphisms and every parallel pair in whose image admits a split coequalizer in has a coequalizer in preserved by . Here a split coequalizer of consists of , and satisfying
These identities imply the coequalizer property and survive every functor. We shall identify the relevant algebra categories directly, which proves monadicity without having to check quotient constructions separately.
Write for one step in the nested partial unary operation category tower. For , its left adjoint is
A function extends uniquely by , proving the adjunction.
For , take and let
The free extension of nested partial unary operations has underlying set
Keep the old operations on . On every new chain set , and leave the other old operations undefined on new points. Define the new operation by for , and nowhere else. This is a valid object: the new chains have no fixed points under , so all later operations are correctly undefined on them; the new top operation has exactly the required domain.
If preserves the old operations, it carries into . Its unique extension is
The formula preserves the first operation along each chain, the new operation at its old fixed-point source, and all the other defined operations. Conversely these requirements force the formula. This proves the one-step adjunction in every case.
Let . For , this is the usual free unary-operation monad: , with multiplication . An algebra action obeys and . It is uniquely determined by the total unary operation , since . Algebra morphisms are exactly functions commuting with . Thus .
For , no new chain point belongs to , so . The set consists of and two copies of the free chain at every . Multiplication is the identity on and folds both copies onto the corresponding chain in .
An algebra action must be the identity on the old copy of , by its unit law. Preservation of forces
The choices , for , are otherwise arbitrary. There are no higher old operations to preserve on new points. Associativity is automatic: on an inner chain both and apply the displayed formula, and on an outer chain sends to the inner chain point with the same label because ; multiplication does the same. Therefore on every point.
The data of the algebra are consequently exactly a partial operation whose domain is , that is, an object of . For a map in , the algebra-morphism equation at says precisely ; equality on the rest of the chain then follows from preservation of . Thus we have identified objects and morphisms, not just their underlying sets:
Under this isomorphism the comparison functor for is the identity identification. Hence every one-step forgetful adjunction is monadic.
Now take . In the free extension just constructed, the newly added operation has no fixed points: it sends an old point to a distinct new point, or, for , shifts along a free chain. Therefore all further operations can only be undefined. Adding them freely adds no more points. The same extension formula gives a left adjoint to .
After forgetting to , its induced monad is exactly , independent of . This includes the unit and multiplication: the unit is the old-point inclusion, and the counit formula gives the same addition of chain indices for or the same folding of the two chain copies for . Its comparison functor, after the identification , is exactly
Indeed, the comparison action on the first point of each free chain recovers , while the higher operations are forgotten. Thus each comparison step recovers exactly one additional operation. After steps from sets, the comparison is the identity of .
No earlier step is an equivalence. For , put all of the first operations equal to the identity on a three-element set. In one structure choose to be the cycle , and in another choose its reverse . Both have no fixed points at this stage, so every higher operation is undefined. The identity function between their underlying objects is a morphism there, but does not preserve . Hence is not full, and cannot be an equivalence. This also applies for , when there are no old operations. We conclude
The crude monadicity theorem in its reflexive-coequalizer form says: if , is a conservative functor, has reflexive coequalizers, and preserves them, then the Eilenberg-Moore comparison functor , for , is an equivalence of categories. Requiring all coequalizers to exist and be preserved is a stronger sufficient form.
For an algebra , form in the coequalizer
The pair is a reflexive pair with common section : both composites are the identity by the algebra unit law and the triangle identity. An arrow transposes to . The two composites and transpose to and , respectively. Indeed the latter transpose is , while by counit naturality. Thus equalizes the pair exactly when is an monad algebra morphism . The coequalizer property gives natural bijections
These define on arrows by uniqueness, so . Its unit has underlying arrow .
By preservation, coequalizes and in . The action is a split coequalizer of that pair: take and , with and . Thus there is a unique isomorphism with . We have . Also
Consequently , and epimorphic cancellation gives . The adjunction unit is an monad algebra morphism; its invertible underlying arrow has an algebra-morphism inverse. Thus the unit of is an isomorphism.
For its counit , the triangle identity gives . Hence , and therefore , is an isomorphism. Since is a conservative functor, is an isomorphism too. Both unit and counit of are invertible, which proves the claimed equivalence. This proof uses only reflexive coequalizers in and split coequalizers in .
For an adjunction with unit and counit of an adjunction , the monad induced by an adjunction is , with multiplication . Its Eilenberg-Moore comparison functor is
Here is the Eilenberg-Moore category. If has reflexive coequalizers, the Left adjoint to the Eilenberg-Moore comparison functor is defined on an algebra for a monad by
where the last arrow is a coequalizer. The parallel pair has common section , so it is a reflexive pair. The coequalizer property induces on algebra morphisms and gives .
Starting with , iterate this construction: if , put and let be its comparison. The monadic length is the least for which is an equivalence of categories. Thus an equivalence has length zero, and an already monadic adjunction whose right adjoint is not an equivalence has length one. The assumed reflexive coequalizers ensure the needed left adjoints; in the example we identify them explicitly.
For the nested partial unary operation category , write
For the empty list of operations, take and . We use positive chain indices for new points, so the index zero already labels the copy of . This makes the free-object hint independent of the convention for .
For , the free extension of nested partial unary operations has underlying set
Keep the old operations on the zero layer. On new points define only
and leave every , , undefined there. Define the new top operation by
and leave it undefined elsewhere. These are precisely the permitted domains: the first unary operation on every new point moves it, so none of the higher operations is defined there. When , take with . In either case the unit is .
For , let its operations be . Any morphism extends uniquely to
The value is defined because preserves the previous fixed-point equations. The extension respects the top operation at old fixed points and respects the first operation along each new chain; there are no other defined operations on those chains to check. Uniqueness follows from the same forced formulas. For the formula is . These extensions are natural and prove
On a morphism the free functor sends to .
Crucially, the top operation of has no fixed points: its defined old values move to new points, and it has no defined new values when ; for it is the shift. The next free extension therefore adds no points and equips the object with an everywhere-undefined next operation. The same remains true at every subsequent free extension. Hence, for , the composite left adjoint has the same first operations and underlying set as .
This agreement includes the monad structure, not just its underlying endofunctor. The units are the same zero-layer inclusions. The composite counit on an object of is the same forced extension formula, depending only on its first operations. Applying the composite forgetful functor therefore gives the same multiplication . Thus
Next prove creation of the required split coequalizers. Suppose are arrows in and their images have a split coequalizer in . Choose the splitting orientation
with , morphisms in . Denote the top operations on by . For define
Since preserves the lower operations, and this value exists. For , , so preservation by gives
Thus respects the top operation. The splitting and also show that this is the unique operation on its prescribed domain for which is a morphism. For all these domains mean the whole underlying set.
If is a morphism equalizing , its unique factor in satisfies, on ,
where is the top operation of . Hence is a morphism. This proves creates coequalizers of -split pairs.
Moreover, reflects isomorphisms: an isomorphism of the first operations reflects their fixed-point conditions, hence the domain of the next operation; the inverse of a bijective top-operation-preserving map then preserves that operation too. The Beck monadicity theorem now gives
Under this equivalence, the first Eilenberg-Moore comparison functor for the long composite is exactly forgetting all operations after the st: its algebra structure is the top-operation extension formula already computed. Repeating the argument identifies its monadic tower with the successive categories
At each stage the corresponding comparison has the remaining composite of the already constructed free extensions as a left adjoint.
No earlier stage can be an equivalence of categories. For , take the two-point set with its first operations all identities. One extension to has every later operation the identity; another has its st operation interchange the two points, and all subsequent operations undefined. Both have the same image in , but the identity function between those images is not a morphism between the extensions. Thus forgetting from to is not full. The final comparison at is an equivalence. This proves the monadic tower for nested partial unary operations has
Define the length of a formal tensor expression recursively by
The canonical strict monoidal functor sends to , sends every associator and unitor to an identity braid, and sends to the block braiding . The pentagon and triangle become identity equations; the braiding axioms become the corresponding block-braid equations. Thus the assignment respects the defining relations, and
on the nose. It is a braided monoidal functor with identity comparison maps.
To prove that is an equivalence of categories, choose a standard parenthesization of copies of , with . On , define the image of by canonically exposing the th and st factors, applying there, and restoring the chosen parentheses. The monoidal coherence theorem makes this independent of the structural rebracketing. Crossings on disjoint pairs commute by the tensor interchange law. The adjacent braid group relations follows from the hexagon laws and naturality of the braiding, as in the Yang–Baxter calculation below. Hence these assignments give group homomorphisms and a functor .
Equip with the canonical rebracketing maps . Their monoidal functor axioms follow from the monoidal coherence theorem; the block-braiding compatibility follows by iterating the two hexagon laws. Therefore is a strong monoidal functor compatible with the braiding.
We have , including its comparison maps. For every formal expression , there is a canonical structural isomorphism
obtained by rebracketing and inserting the units appearing in . These maps form a natural isomorphism . To check naturality, it suffices to check the generating morphisms: for associators and unitors it is exactly monoidal coherence; for it follows from the hexagon expansion into the elementary crossings defining . Composition and tensor product then preserve the equation. The same structural coherence shows that is monoidal.
Thus has a specified quasi-inverse and is the required equivalence:
Only ordinary monoidal coherence, together with the defining braiding axioms, has been used; a separate braided coherence theorem is unnecessary.
An equivalence of categories consists of functors and together with invertible natural transformations and . A strict isomorphism of categories instead requires a functor with an inverse whose composites are literally identity functors.
First suppose belongs to an equivalence of categories. The isomorphisms give essential surjectivity. If , apply and conjugate by to obtain , so is a faithful functor. Similarly is a faithful functor. Writing , any has a preimage
Indeed naturality of gives , and faithfulness of gives . Thus is a full and faithful functor.
Conversely, assume is a full and faithful functor and has essential surjectivity. Using the axiom of choice, for each choose an object and an isomorphism . Define on a morphism by the unique lift
The full and faithful functor property makes preserve identities and composition, and makes a natural transformation. For , lift uniquely to . Lifting its inverse shows that is invertible. The naturality of and faithfulness of imply the naturality of . This proves
For large categories, this choice argument is understood in a fixed universe, or with the corresponding class-choice convention; ordinary set-sized axiom of choice suffices for small categories.
For the category of partial functions, let , with a tagged new element as basepoint. Send a partial function to the basepoint-preserving total function
Undefined composition is sent to the basepoint, so this is a functor . Restriction away from the basepoint recovers each partial function uniquely; hence it is a full and faithful functor. Every pointed set is isomorphic to , so there is an equivalence of categories. This particular equivalence can also be constructed explicitly, without choice, by deleting and adjoining the basepoint.
These actual categories are equivalent but not isomorphic. In the empty set is the only zero object: if is nonempty, its identity differs from its nowhere-defined endomorphism, so it cannot be initial or terminal. In every singleton pointed set is a zero object, and distinct singleton underlying sets give distinct objects. An isomorphism of categories is a bijection on objects preserving zero objects; it cannot take one such object onto several. This uses the categories of all actual sets, as in the paper, rather than chosen skeletal categories of representatives.
A skeletal category has no distinct isomorphic objects. If an equivalence joins two skeletal categories, essential surjectivity becomes surjectivity on objects. If , lift the identity of that object and its inverse using full and faithful to obtain , so . Thus is bijective on objects and on every hom-set. Its inverse on objects and morphisms is a strictly inverse functor, proving that it is an isomorphism of categories.
Under the axiom of choice, choose one object from each isomorphism class of a small category. The full subcategory on those objects is a skeleton of a category, and its inclusion is a full and faithful functor with essential surjectivity, hence an equivalence of categories.
For the converse, form the small category which is a groupoid with objects for , and exactly one morphism when , with no morphisms when . Suppose it is equivalent to a skeletal category , with quasi-inverse functors and . For each , the objects for are isomorphic, hence all equal to a uniquely determined . The isomorphism ensures that for some . The rule is a choice function. In particular, no representative in had to be chosen to define , since it is unique. Consequently
A diagram in a category of shape is a functor . A categorical cone with vertex is a family satisfying for every . A morphism between categorical cones from to is a morphism with for all . A categorical limit is a terminal object in this category of cones: each cone has a unique such morphism to the limiting cone.
For a finite , form the products in a category
Define with -coordinates and . The equalizer imposes exactly the cone equations. Therefore gives a categorical limit of , since maps into encode families of legs and factoring through encodes their compatibility. The empty product in a category is the terminal object, covering the empty diagram. This is the construction of small limits from products and equalizers, restricted to finite shapes.
Now take an initial functor and a categorical cone over . For each and each object of the comma category , consider . A morphism there satisfies , so
Since is a nonempty connected category, this common value is independent of the object. Define it to be . This does not require choosing representatives: the value is uniquely determined.
For , replacing by proves . Taking proves . Conversely, extending a restricted cone recovers its original legs, since . A vertex morphism commuting with every also commutes with each , and the converse follows by restriction. Thus extension and restriction are strictly inverse functors, not merely an equivalence of categories. This proves cone restriction along an initial functor.
If has all categorical limits of shape , transport a terminal object in the cone category of across this isomorphism to obtain a categorical limit of . Uniqueness of the induced comparison, and its compatibility with natural transformations of diagrams, gives
For the converse use the representable test for initial functors. For , the representable presheaf is equivalently a diagram in a category . Its categorical limit in the opposite category is the colimit of in sets. Elements of that colimit are connected components of the category of elements, equivalently of the opposite category of the slice . This slice has terminal object , so that colimit is a singleton.
For the restricted presheaf , the same description identifies its colimit with the connected-component set of . Indeed a relation identifying with is exactly a generating edge of the zigzag relation in this comma category. The assumed isomorphism of limit functors forces this set to be a singleton. Therefore is nonempty and connected for every , proving
For inducing , the Kleisli comparison functor is always full and faithful, since the adjunction gives
Therefore it is part of an equivalence of categories if and only if every object of is isomorphic to for some .
For an idempotent monad, multiplication is invertible. The unit laws imply . If is an algebra for a monad, then , while naturality of gives
Thus is an isomorphism with inverse . The algebra law says that is a morphism of algebras for a monad from the free algebra to , so every object of the Eilenberg-Moore category is isomorphic to a free algebra. The criterion above yields
Skeleton of a category 2026-10-05
A skeleton of is a full subcategory with exactly one object from each isomorphism class. The axiom of choice supplies skeletons of small categories. Conversely, if every small category has a skeletal equivalent, apply this to the groupoid on with exactly one morphism between objects in the same nonempty fibre. A quasi-inverse from the skeletal category selects one object per fibre, giving a choice function. This converse uses an equivalence of categories with specified quasi-inverse functors, not just the existence of a full essentially surjective functor in one direction.