Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2001 iii Paper 17 10 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
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 thatEvery 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 satisfyingAfter 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 pairIts image has coequalizer . It is split: take , , , and . The monad and algebra laws giveBy 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 satisfiesBut is a split epimorphism, with right inverse , so . Hence : the comparison is essentially surjective.
Next, for every , put . The counit of an adjunction coequalizesThis 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 yieldsSince 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.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2001 iii Paper 17 9 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For with unit of an adjunction and counit of an adjunction , putThe triangle identities for an adjunction giveFor associativity, naturality of at saysApply to obtain . Thus this is the monad induced by an adjunction.
Conversely, start with a monad . The free algebra functor sends to and to . The monad laws ensure that these are algebras for a monad and morphisms of algebras for a monad. For an algebra , there are inverse bijectionsThe inverse really is an algebra map becauseFor a free-algebra map , its algebra equation and the monad unit law giveFor a base map , naturality and the algebra unit law give . The formulas are natural, establishing the free-forgetful Eilenberg-Moore adjunction . Its unit is , and its counit at is . Hence its induced multiplication is , and every monad arises from an adjunction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2001 iii Paper 17 9 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
A monad on consists of an endofunctor and natural transformations , satisfying the unit and multiplication of a monad lawsAn algebra for a monad is an object equipped with such thatA 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 isThe 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).
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2002 iii Paper 20 10 iii Solution 2026-10-14
For , consider the reflexive free-algebra presentation of a monad algebraBoth parallel morphisms are monad algebra morphisms: satisfies the monad associativity law, while is the image under of . The map is a monad algebra morphism because , and the same equation says it equalizes the pair.
Suppose is a monad algebra morphism with . Put . Naturality of and the unit law giveMoreover, since is a monad algebra morphism,Thus is a monad algebra morphism and factors through . If , then , proving uniqueness. Therefore every monad algebra is the stated coequalizer of free algebras.
The underlying fork is a split coequalizer: take , and . Then , , and . Its splitting maps need not be monad algebra morphisms; the preceding argument separately proves the coequalizer in .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2002 iii Paper 20 10 ii Solution 2026-10-14
Define the free algebra functor by and . The monad laws make an algebra action, and naturality of makes a monad algebra morphism. For an algebra for a monad , definewith proposed inverse . This inverse is a monad algebra morphism, sinceOne composite is . For a monad algebra morphism , the other is . Both formulas commute with composition in a category in and with monad algebra morphisms in , so the bijection is natural. Thus
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2002 iii Paper 20 10 i Solution 2026-10-14
A monad on consists of an endofunctor and natural transformations , satisfying, at every object ,These are the associativity and unit laws. An algebra for a monad is withA monad algebra morphism is a morphism satisfying . Identity morphisms satisfy this equation, and if satisfy it, then . Hence these objects and morphisms form the Eilenberg-Moore category , with the forgetful functor and .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2002 iii Paper 20 11 ii Solution 2026-10-14
Write the adjunction unit and adjunction counit of as . Its induced monad is , with multiplication . The Eilenberg-Moore comparison functor isThe unit law for is , a triangle identity for an adjunction. Naturality of at gives ; applying gives . Naturality at gives the monad algebra morphism equation for . Thus is well-defined.
For each , consider the fork in It commutes by the naturality equation just used. Its image under is the fork of the preceding question, with parallel morphisms and final map . It is split using and . By the assumed reflection, is the coequalizer of this pair in .
For fullness, let be a monad algebra morphism. Thus satisfies . Set . We verify explicitly that equalizes the two morphisms of the displayed fork. The monad algebra morphism equation givesNaturality of first at and then at givesThe coequalizer therefore supplies a unique with . Applying yields . The map is split epic with section , so cancellation gives . This proves fullness, and the earlier cancellation proves faithfulness. HenceNo claim that is essentially surjective is needed; that stronger conclusion needs the corresponding existence hypotheses.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2002 iii Paper 22 6 Solution 2026-10-14
For an idempotent monad, the unit laws give . If is an algebra, and naturality giveThus algebras are exactly the objects on which is invertible, with the unique algebra structure . They form a full reflective subcategory with reflector . The assumed preservation of finite limits makes this a left-exact reflective subcategory.
For a subobject , define its closure byusing the unit and the monomorphism . This closure operation induced by a left-exact reflector is extensive by unit naturality, stable under pullback and preserves intersections because preserves finite limits. Applying to its defining square and using invertible identifies with over . Closing a second time therefore gives the same subobject. It is a universal idempotent closure operation, hence defines a local operator by classifying the closure of ; closure of any mono is then classified by composing its classifier with .
A mono is -dense exactly when is invertible. One implication follows immediately from the closure square. Conversely if its closure is all of , the unit factors through . Applying and using the invertible makes split epic; since it is also monic, it is invertible. Every fixed object is consequently a -sheaf, since the adjunction givesand a dense restriction becomes an isomorphism.
Conversely let be a -sheaf. Its diagonal is closed: the two projections from the closure of the diagonal agree on the dense diagonal, so uniqueness of extension into makes them agree everywhere. The closure formula identifies this closed diagonal with the kernel pair of , since takes the diagonal of to the diagonal of . Thus is monic. Also is invertible, so this mono is dense. The sheaf property extends across it to a retraction . Since is fixed and hence itself a sheaf, uniqueness across that dense mono also makes the other composite the identity. Therefore is invertible. We have proved the algebra category is exactly the category of -sheaves.
Its topos structure is concrete. Finite limits are computed in . For sheaves , the ambient exponential is a sheaf: extension across a dense mono reduces, by transposition, to extension into across its product with , again a dense mono. The classifier is with the induced truth point; it classifies closed subobjects. Colimits are obtained by taking the ambient colimit and applying . These supply an elementary topos, as required.
For the second part, use the square reader monadThe two unit laws select again. Each side of associativity selects the entries indexed and in an eight-entry array, so the monad laws hold. An algebra is an operation satisfyingThese imply associativity, since and . They are the rectangular band laws.
For nonempty , choose , and put , . Define and . Then , and for , the laws give and . Thus are inverse bijections. In these coordinates the operation isConversely any nonempty product with this operation satisfies the algebra laws, proving the requested correspondence with product decompositions. A homomorphism between nonempty products has its first coordinate depending only on the first factor and its second only on the second, as follows by applying it to the displayed operation. Hence it is exactly a pair of factor maps. There is in addition the unique empty algebra, a strict initial object.
This algebra category is Cartesian closed. For nonempty and , its exponential is with rectangular multiplication: the usual set adjunction in each factor gives the universal property. For the empty cases, and when is nonempty; these formulas also give . They verify the adjunction against empty test objects as well. Thus the algebra category is Cartesian closed.
It is not a topos. If a classifier existed, its global elements would correspond to the two subobjects of the terminal singleton algebra, so its underlying set would have two elements. A two-element rectangular band is either left-zero or right-zero: its two nonempty factors have sizes or . A homomorphism from the four-element band to a left-zero classifier depends only on the first coordinate, so the preimage of truth cannot be a single point; for a right-zero classifier the same failure occurs in the second coordinate. Yet a single point is a subalgebra and its inclusion is monic. Pullbacks of algebra maps are computed on underlying sets, so this subobject could not be classified. Therefore there is no subobject classifier and the algebra category is not a topos, despite its cartesian closure.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 18 8 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For with unit and counit , setNaturality of the unit and counit makes these natural transformations. The two triangle identities give and . Naturality of at gives . Applying proves . Thus this is the monad induced by an adjunction.
Conversely, for any monad take the free-algebra functor and the forgetful functor . For an algebra , the assignments and give inverse bijections between algebra maps and arrows . For the inverse identities, , while . The algebra and monad laws also make an algebra morphism, since . These bijections are natural, giving the free-forgetful Eilenberg-Moore adjunction. Its unit is , its counit at is , and its induced multiplication is exactly . Thus every monad arises from an adjunction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 18 8 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
A monad on consists of an endofunctor and natural transformations , , satisfyingAn algebra for a monad is with , and . A morphism is an arrow with . These form the Eilenberg-Moore category .
A functor is monadic when it has a left adjoint and its comparison is an equivalence; this is the monadic adjunction convention. Some strict formulations require to be an isomorphism over the base. The distinction affects the meaning of literal limit creation, discussed in part (iii), but not the algebra construction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 18 9 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For , define the Eilenberg-Moore comparison functorThe algebra unit law is a triangle identity. Naturality of the counit at gives its algebra associativity law; naturality at gives , making an algebra morphism.
Suppose first that reflects G-split coequalizers. For every , consider the counit presentationIt equalizes the pair by counit naturality. After applying it becomes , with parallel maps . This is split: take and . The identities , and follow from the algebra law, a monad unit law, and naturality of . Reflection therefore makes a coequalizer in .
For fullness, let be an algebra morphism, so . Put . Its two composites with the counit-presentation pair are equal: by counit naturality they are and . Hence there is a unique with . Applying gives . Since is split epic, . This proves full faithfulness directly by descent.
Conversely suppose is full and faithful. We need the following explicit algebra lifting fact. For algebra morphisms with a split underlying coequalizer , the arrow equalizes . The split diagram is preserved by , so is their coequalizer and there is a unique with . Precomposing the unit equation with the epimorphism gives ; precomposing the associativity equation with the epimorphism gives equality by . Thus is an algebra action. If an algebra map equalizes , its unique underlying factor satisfies . Cancelling shows . This proves monad algebra forgetful functor creates split coequalizers.
Now take any existing equalizing arrow in whose image is such a coequalizer. The lifting fact makes the unique compatible action on its already given action , since preserves that action. Hence is a coequalizer of in the algebra category. For any arrow equalizing the pair, its unique algebra factor lifts to an arrow by fullness of ; faithfulness gives its factorization equation and uniqueness. Therefore is a coequalizer in . We have proved the full comparison and reflection of split coequalizers equivalence
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 23 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
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 , letKeep 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 byThe 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 .
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 , satisfyingEquip with on its required eligible domain. The lower-structure maps preserve eligibility. For eligible ,so preserves the top operation. If coequalizes , its lower factor satisfiesThus 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 .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 26 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
A monad on a category consists of an endofunctor , a unit natural transformation , and a multiplication , satisfyingAn 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 withThese 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 pairIts image is , with split coequalizer : the splittings are and , becauseLet 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. LetThe set is compact and hence closed. Since , it is contained in . Conversely . ThusThe 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.
