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For a morphism in an abelian category, its coimage $\mathrm{coker}(\ker f)$ is canonically isomorphic to its image $\ker (\mathrm{coker}f)$. This yields an epimorphism followed by a monomorphism, unique up to unique compatible isomorphism. Every epi-mono factorization has this same middle object.

In a regular category, the image of $f:A\to B$ is the monomorphism in its essentially unique factorizationas a regular epimorphism followed by a monomorphism. Images are stable under pullback.

An object $I$ is injective when every morphism $A\to I$ extends across every monomorphism $A\hookrightarrow B$ to a morphism $B\to I$. This is the categorical extension property of an injective module or an injective sheaf; it is dual to the lifting property of a projective object in a category.

In a complete category, the intersection of a set-indexed family of subobjects of $C$ is their wide pullback in a category over $C$. The resulting morphism into $C$ is a monomorphism, and it factors through every member. In a well-powered category, even the intersection of all subobjects satisfying a specified property is small.

For $j=o(U)$, the dense monomorphism classifier consists of the truth values above $u$, so has least element $u$. Conversely, if it has least element $u$, density of a monomorphism is exactly containment of the pulled-back subterminal $U$. For a subobject $S\subseteq X$, the mono $S\to \overline{S}$ is dense, so $U\cap \overline{S}\subseteq S$ and $j(p)\le u\Rightarrow p$. Since $j(u)=\top$, applying $j$ to $u\wedge (u\Rightarrow p)\le p$ gives $u\Rightarrow p\le j(p)$. Hence equality holds.

A map $e:X\to Y$ has this property if every commutative square with $e$ as its left side and a monomorphism $m:A\to B$ as its right side has a diagonal filler $t:Y\to A$. The filler is unique because $m$ is monic. This definition does not itself stipulate that $e$ is an epimorphism; binary products imply that conclusion by testing against the categorical diagonal.

If $e:X\to Y$ is a monomorphism and has the left lifting property against monomorphisms, apply its property to the square with both vertical arrows $e$ and both horizontal arrows identities. The filler is a two-sided inverse, so $e$ is an isomorphism.

A normal monomorphism is a monomorphism that is the kernel in a category of some morphism. In a pointed category with kernels and cokernels, a monomorphism is normal exactly when it is the kernel of its own cokernel.

Only $L\Rightarrow A$ remains. Assume $U$ preserves small categorical limits, and choose a small cogenerating family $(Q_i{)}_{i\in I}$ in $\mathcal{C}$. Fix a set $X$. The comma category $(X\downarrow U)$ is a complete category: underlying limits in $\mathcal{C}$, together with limit preservation by $U$, lift compatible maps from $X$. It is locally small, since its arrows form subsets of the hom-sets in $\mathcal{C}$.

We construct a weakly initial set in this comma category. Given $f:X\to U(C)$, intersect all subobjects $m:B\hookrightarrow C$ through which $f$ lifts under $U$. There are only a set of subobjects because $\mathcal{C}$ is well-powered; the family includes $1_C$. Their intersection exists by completeness. Also $U$ preserves monomorphisms, since a map is monic precisely when its self-pullback diagonal is invertible, and $U$ preserves such pullbacks.

Thus all lifts of $f$ are unique and compatible, and preservation of the intersection givesNo proper subobject of $C_0$ supports a lift of $f_0$: its composite into $C$ would belong to the intersected family, forcing it to contain $C_0$. This is a minimal supported subobject.

For each $i$, the mapis injective. Indeed, equal images mean $f_0$ lifts to the equalizer of the two maps, because $U$ preserves that equalizer. Minimality forces the equalizer to be invertible, so the maps agree.

The cogenerator property makes the evaluation mapa monomorphism: any two arrows into $C_0$ that agree after all these projections are equal. The indexing pairs $(i,h)$ inject into the fixed setTheir image is some subset $J\subseteq B_X$. Consequently $C_0$ is isomorphic to a subobject of a product $P_J$ of the $Q_i$ indexed by $J$. There are only a set of such subsets $J$, only a set of subobjects of each $P_J$, and only a set of maps $X\to U(B)$ for each representative subobject $B$.

Collect all these pairs $(B,x:X\to U(B))$. Every $(C,f)$ receives a comma arrow from one of them, via the isomorphic copy of $(C_0,f_0)$ and $m_0$. Hence they form a weakly initial set. The initial-object lemma for complete categories with a weakly initial set, proved explicitly in Question 8, gives an initial object of $(X\downarrow U)$. Its map from $X$ is a universal arrow from an object to a functor. Choosing these universal arrows for all $X$ defines a left adjoint to $U$.

ThusThe products indexed by realized subsets $J$ are important: one cannot assume that $C_0$ has a map to every cogenerator and simply add arbitrary missing coordinates.

The general adjoint functor theorem says that, for a functor $U:\mathcal{C}\to \mathcal{D}$ with $\mathcal{C}$ a complete category and both categories locally small, $U$ has a left adjoint exactly when it preserves small categorical limits and satisfies the solution-set condition. The latter means that for each $D\in \mathcal{D}$ there is a set of arrows $f_i:D\to U(C_i)$ such that every $f:D\to U(C)$ factors asEquivalently, $(D\downarrow U)$ has a weakly initial set.

The limit form of the special adjoint functor theorem says that, if in addition $\mathcal{C}$ is well-powered and has a small cogenerating family, then $U$ has a left adjoint exactly when it preserves small limits. These are the limit/left-adjoint forms; their duals interchange limits with colimits, left with right adjoints, and cogenerators with generators.

For the first route, let $\mathcal{E}$ be a complete category that is locally small and has a weakly initial set $(W_i)$. Put $P={\prod }_i{W}_i$. It is weakly initial: for any $X$, choose an arrow $W_i\to X$ and precompose with the corresponding product projection. The set $\mathcal{E}(P,P)$ indexes a simultaneous equalizerIt exists by completeness, for example as the equalizer of the two maps $P\rightrightarrows {\prod }_{u:P\to P}P$ with components $u$ and $1_P$. Since $E\to P\to X$ exists for each $X$, $E$ is also weakly initial.

Choose $r:P\to E$. Applying the defining equation to $er:P\to P$ gives $ere=e$, whence $re=1_E$ because $e$ is a monomorphism. If $v:E\to E$ is any endomorphism, apply it to $evr:P\to P$ to obtain $evre=e$, hence $ev=e$ and $v=1_E$. Thus $E$ has only its identity endomorphism.

For two arrows $a,b:E\rightrightarrows X$, take their equalizer $j:Y\to E$. Weak initiality of $E$ gives $t:E\to Y$. Since $jt$ is an endomorphism of $E$, $jt=1_E$. The monic arrow $j$ with this right inverse is invertible; therefore $a=b$. Existence of an arrow $E\to X$ and this uniqueness show that $E$ is initial.

For the general adjoint functor theorem, limit preservation makes each comma category $(D\downarrow U)$ complete, and the solution-set condition makes it weakly initially generated by a set. The lemma provides an initial object $(FD,{\eta }_D)$. For $v:D\to D^{\prime }$, the universal property uniquely defines $Fv:FD\to F{D}^{\prime }$ byUniqueness gives the functor laws. The same property gives natural bijectionsso $F⊣U$. Conversely a right adjoint preserves limits, by applying its hom-set bijections to cones, and its unit $(FD,{\eta }_D)$ is already an initial object of each comma category, hence a singleton solution set. This proves necessity as well as sufficiency.

For the second route, assume the general adjoint functor theorem and the additional hypotheses of the Special adjoint functor theorem. Let $(Q_i{)}_{i\in I}$ be a small cogenerating family. Fix $D\in \mathcal{D}$ and an arrow $f:D\to UC$. A limit-preserving functor preserves monomorphisms, by the self-pullback criterion. Intersect the set of all subobjects $B\hookrightarrow C$ supporting $f$. Preservation of this categorical limit gives a minimal supporting pair $(C_0,f_0:D\to U{C}_0)$ and a monomorphism $m_0:C_0\to C$ with $U(m_0)f_0=f$.

If $g,h:C_0\rightrightarrows Q_i$ have $Ug{f}_0=Uh{f}_0$, their equalizer supports $f_0$ and must be invertible by minimality. ThusThe evaluation map into the product of all these cogenerator targets is monic, because the family coseparates arrows. Its coordinates inject into the fixed setFor every subset $J\subseteq B_D$, form the product $P_J$ whose coordinate $(i,z)$ has target $Q_i$. Each minimal $C_0$ is isomorphic to a subobject of one such product, using precisely its realized coordinates. There is a set of subsets $J$; the well-powered category condition gives a set of representative subobjects of each product. For each representative $B$, include every arrow $D\to UB$, a set by local smallness of $\mathcal{D}$.

This is a solution-set condition: the minimal pair is isomorphic to one of these representatives, and its inclusion into $C$ supplies the required factorization of $f$. The general adjoint functor theorem now gives the left adjoint. This is the cogenerator bound for comma-category solution sets proof of the special theorem. Necessity follows again because a right adjoint preserves limits. Both alternative proof routes are therefore supplied.

If $f:A\to B$ is a monomorphism, each function $\mathcal{C}(U,A)\to \mathcal{C}(U,B)$ given by postcomposition with $f$ is injective. Consequently, if two natural transformations into $H_A$ become equal after $H_{\bullet }(f)$, their components are equal, and the transformations themselves are equal. This proves that $H_{\bullet }(f)$ is a monomorphism in the presheaf category.

Conversely, suppose $H_{\bullet }(f)$ is a monomorphism and $u,v:U\to A$ satisfy $fu=fv$. Then $H_{\bullet }(f)H_{\bullet }(u)=H_{\bullet }(f)H_{\bullet }(v)$. Cancellation gives $H_{\bullet }(u)=H_{\bullet }(v)$, and faithfulness of the Yoneda embedding gives $u=v$. Hence $H_{\bullet }(f)$ is monic exactly when $f$ is monic.

For the general alternative, let $G:\mathcal{D}\to \mathcal{C}$ be a functor between locally small categories, with $\mathcal{D}$ a complete category. The Freyd general adjoint functor theorem says that $G$ has a left adjoint if and only if it preserves small categorical limits and satisfies the solution-set condition. Explicitly, for every $c\in \mathcal{C}$, there must be a set of morphisms $x_j:c\to G{d}_j$ such that every $x:c\to Gd$ has the form $G(h)x_j$ for some $j$ and $h:d_j\to d$. Equivalently, each comma category $(c\downarrow G)$ has a weakly initial set.

We prove the initial-object lemma for complete categories with a weakly initial set. Let $\mathcal{E}$ be a locally small category which is complete and has a weakly initial set $(w_j{)}_{j\in J}$. Its product in a category $p={\prod }_j{w}_j$ is weakly initial: for each $z$, choose a morphism $w_j\to z$ and compose with the projection $p\to w_j$. The hom-set $\mathcal{E}(p,p)$ is a set. Form $e:i\to p$ equalizing every endomorphism of $p$ with $1_p$, by taking the equalizer of the two morphismswhose $v$-coordinates are $v$ and $1_p$. Then $ve=e$ for every endomorphism $v$, and $e$ is monic. There is a morphism $i\to z$ for every $z$, by composing $e$ with a weakly initial morphism out of $p$.

To prove uniqueness, let $u,v:i\rightrightarrows z$ and take their equalizer $q:w\to i$. Weak initiality of $p$ gives $a:p\to w$. The composite $eqa:p\to p$ is an endomorphism, so $eqae=e$. Cancel the monomorphism $e$ to obtain $qae=1_i$. Thus $q$ is both monic and split epic, hence an isomorphism: if $qk=1$, cancellation from $qkq=q$ gives $kq=1$. Since $uq=vq$, it follows that $u=v$. Therefore $i$ is an initial object, proving the lemma fully.

Now assume categorical limit preservation and the solution-set condition. The comma category $(c\downarrow G)$ is locally small. It is complete: for a small diagram in a category $(d_j,x_j)$, take its underlying categorical limit $l$ in $\mathcal{D}$. Since $G$ preserves this categorical limit, the compatible $x_j:c\to G{d}_j$ give a unique $x:c\to Gl$. The same universal property shows that $(l,x)$ is the categorical limit in the comma category. Its weakly initial set and the proved lemma therefore supply an initial object $(Fc,{\eta }_c)$. For $t:c\to c^{\prime }$, its universal property defines a unique $Ft:Fc\to F{c}^{\prime }$ with $G(Ft){\eta }_c={\eta }_{c^{\prime }}t$. Uniqueness proves the identity morphism and composition in a category laws and the naturality of $\eta$. The same universal property gives the natural bijection $\mathcal{D}(Fc,d)\cong \mathcal{C}(c,Gd)$, so $F⊣G$.

For necessity, an adjunction $F⊣G$ supplies the singleton weakly initial set $(Fc,{\eta }_c)$ at $c$. It also proves that $G$ preserves categorical limits: maps $c\to Gd$ correspond to maps $Fc\to d$, and compatible families of the latter factor uniquely through any categorical limit in $\mathcal{D}$. Hence the image categorical cone under $G$ has the required universal property. This proves both directions of the general alternative.

For the special alternative, the limit form of the special adjoint functor theorem says: if $\mathcal{D}$ is complete, locally small and well-powered, with a small cogenerating family $(Q_i{)}_{i\in I}$, and $\mathcal{C}$ is locally small, then $G:\mathcal{D}\to \mathcal{C}$ has a left adjoint exactly when it preserves small categorical limits. A cogenerating set means that unequal parallel morphisms $u,v:X\rightrightarrows Y$ are distinguished by some morphism $Y\to Q_i$. We prove the needed solution-set condition, so that the general theorem applies.

Fix $x:c\to Gd$. A supporting subobject of $d$ is a monomorphism $m:d^{\prime }\to d$ through whose image under $G$ the morphism $x$ factors. There is at least one, namely $1_d$. Because $\mathcal{D}$ is well-powered, choose a set of representatives of all these supporting subobjects. A limit-preserving functor preserves monomorphisms: a map is monic exactly when its diagonal into its self-pullback in a category is an isomorphism, and both the pullback in a category and this isomorphism are preserved. Consequently each factorization of $x$ through $Gm$ is unique. Form the intersection of subobjects of the supporting representatives, as a wide pullback in a category over $d$. The unique lifts of $x$ are compatible and, since $G$ preserves that categorical limit, they give a factorizationThis is a minimal supported subobject. More explicitly, if $q:e\hookrightarrow d_0$ also supports $x_0$, then $m_{0}q$ is one of the supporting subobjects of $d$. The intersection therefore factors through $m_{0}q$, giving $r:d_0\to e$ with $m_{0}qr=m_0$. Monicity of $m_0$ gives $qr=1_{d_0}$; monicity of $q$ then makes $q$ invertible.

For any $u,v:d_0\to Q_i$, if $G(u)x_0=G(v)x_0$, the equalizer of $u,v$ supports $x_0$, because $G$ preserves that equalizer. Minimality makes it invertible, so $u=v$. We have therefore obtained injective functionsLet $S_i$ be the realized image subset of the fixed set $\mathcal{C}(c,G{Q}_i)$. Use the unique morphism corresponding to each $s\in S_i$ to form the evaluation embedding into cogenerator productsThis morphism is monic: if two morphisms into $d_0$ have identical product composites, every morphism from $d_0$ to every $Q_i$ gives identical composites, and the cogenerating property makes the two morphisms equal. There is only a set of possible families of subsets $(S_i)$, and hence a set of possible products $P_S$. Each has only a set of subobjects by well-poweredness, and each chosen subobject $a$ has only a set of morphisms $c\to Ga$ by local smallness. Take all these pairs $(a,z:c\to Ga)$ as a weakly initial set. Every original $(d,x)$ receives a morphism from a pair representing its $(d_0,x_0)$, through $m_0$. Thus the set is weakly initial in $(c\downarrow G)$.

The general theorem now supplies a left adjoint. Necessity again follows from preservation of categorical limits by a right adjoint. This proves the special alternative, including its size argument. Using only the realized subsets $S_i$ avoids assuming that an arbitrary object admits a morphism into every cogenerator. Both adjoint functor theorem alternatives are proved.

A regular category has finite limits, factorizations of every arrow as a regular epimorphism followed by a monomorphism, and pullback-stable regular epimorphisms. Equivalently one may require coequalizers of kernel pairs and pullback stability of the resulting quotients. A regular epimorphism is a coequalizer of some parallel pair; an extremal epimorphism is an epimorphism $e$ such that $e=mh$, with $m$ monic, forces $m$ to be invertible.

First, every regular epimorphism is extremal without assuming regularity of the whole category. Suppose $e:A\to B$ coequalizes $r,s$ and $e=mh$. Since $m$ is monic, $hr=hs$, so the universal property gives $k:B\to \mathrm{dom}(m)$ with $ke=h$. Then $mke=e$; cancellation of the epimorphism $e$ gives $mk=1_B$. Monicity of $m$ now gives $km=1$, so $m$ is an isomorphism. Conversely, in a regular category, factor an extremal $e$ as $mq$ with $q$ regular epic and $m$ monic. Extremality makes $m$ invertible, so $e$ is regular epic. Thus covers and regular epimorphisms coincide.

For a counterexample, work in the category of small categories, which has finite limits constructed on objects and arrows. Let $C$ be two disjoint walking arrows $a\stackrel{u}{\to }b$ and $c\stackrel{v}{\to }d$. Let $D$ be the walking isomorphism, with two objects $0,1$ and inverse arrows $p:0\to 1$, $q:1\to 0$. Define $F:C\to D$ by $a,d\mapsto 0$, $b,c\mapsto 1$, $u\mapsto p$, $v\mapsto q$. These images generate all of $D$, so two functors agreeing after $F$ agree everywhere; thus $F$ is epic.

A monic functor is injective on objects and faithful, as tested by functors from the terminal category and from the walking arrow. If $F$ factors through such a functor $m:D^{\prime }\to D$, its image contains both objects and both arrows $p,q$. Faithfulness forces their lifted composites to be the identities, so the image contains every arrow of $D$ and $m$ is an isomorphism. Hence $F$ is extremal.

It is not regular. Its kernel pair identifies the endpoint pairs $a,d$ and $b,c$ but has no relation forcing the composites of the images of $u,v$ to be identities. Concretely, send all four objects to the one-object category with endomorphism monoid $\{1,e\}$, $e^2=e\ne 1$, and send both $u,v$ to $e$. This functor equalizes the kernel pair: corresponding identities agree, and the only nonidentity arrow pairs in the kernel pair are an arrow paired with itself. It cannot factor through $D$, because images of $p,q$ would have to be inverse, whereas $e^2\ne 1$. In a category with kernel pairs, every regular epimorphism is the coequalizer of its kernel pair: its original coequalized pair factors through that kernel pair, giving the universal property. Therefore $F$ is an extremal but nonregular epimorphism, the promised nonregular extremal epimorphism in the category of categories.

For a small category $C$, write $\hat{C}=[C^{\mathrm{op}},\mathbf{Set}]$. Its objects are categorical presheaves and its arrows natural transformations. The terminal presheaf is the constant singleton, and products and equalizers are computed objectwise. Their restriction maps are induced by the corresponding set operations, so the objectwise universal properties are natural and give finite limits in $\hat{C}$.

For presheaves $F,G$, define the exponential object byFor $u:B\to A$, restriction precomposes with $yu\times 1_F$. Evaluation sends $(\alpha ,x)$ at $A$ to ${\alpha }_A(1_A,x)$. Given $h:H\times F\to G$, its transpose sends $z\in H(A)$ to the transformation whose component at $B$ isNaturality of $h$ proves this is a natural transformation and that the assignment is natural in $A$. Conversely evaluation reconstructs $h$. These constructions are inverse, proving the exponential universal property explicitly.

For the subobject classifier, let $\Omega (A)$ be the set of sieves on a category on $A$ and let $\Omega (u)$ take inverse image of sieves on a category. The truth map $1\to \Omega$ selects the maximal sieve on a category at every stage. A monomorphism of presheaves is objectwise injective, so identify it with $U\subseteq F$. DefineThis is a sieve on a category, and restriction gives precisely inverse image, so ${\chi }_U$ is natural. Its value is maximal exactly when $x\in U(A)$, by testing the identity arrow. Thus $U$ is its pullback of truth. Uniqueness follows since membership of $v$ is detected by whether the restriction to $v$ is true. Smallness of $C$ makes all the displayed components and natural-transformation sets genuine sets. Hence $\hat{C}$ is an elementary topos.

The same constructions work componentwise under the weaker slice hypothesis. Indeed,A component on $v:B\to A$ is simply a map $F(B)\to G(B)$, with the naturality conditions for triangles in $C/A$. Restricting to a small skeleton of an essentially small slice therefore makes this a set; the result determines the maps on all isomorphic slice objects. Likewise a sieve on a category on $A$ is a full downward-closed collection of objects of $C/A$, determined by its intersection with that small skeleton, so the collection of sieves on a category is a set. The restriction, evaluation and classifier proofs above are unchanged. This establishes the slice-small presheaf construction.

For an example, take a discrete category with one object for every ordinal and no arrows other than identities. Each slice is the terminal category, but there is a proper class of pairwise nonisomorphic objects, so it is not equivalent to a small category.

The large-category assertion needs a universe convention. The constructions give all elementary-topos axioms in a larger universe in which those diagrams and their transformations are admitted. They do not imply local smallness in the original universe: for the discrete example, transformations from the constant singleton to the constant two-element presheaf are arbitrary ordinal-indexed binary families and do not form a set there. If “topos” is required to be locally small relative to that original universe, the unrestricted large-category assertion is false. With the usual larger-universe interpretation, the explicit component constructions prove the intended result; no assumption that the original category itself is essentially small is needed.