Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2006 / iii / Paper 24 / 5 / Solution

For $L⊣U:\mathcal{D}\to \mathcal{C}$, let $T=UL$ be the induced monad. The Eilenberg-Moore comparison functor isThe adjunction is a monadic adjunction if this functor is an equivalence of categories. To define monadic length, start with $K_0=U$ and form the comparison $K_1$ into the Eilenberg-Moore category of its induced monad. When $K_1$ 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 $U$ with a left adjoint is monadic if and only if it reflects isomorphisms and every parallel pair in $\mathcal{D}$ whose image admits a split coequalizer in $\mathcal{C}$ has a coequalizer in $\mathcal{D}$ preserved by $U$. Here a split coequalizer of $f,g:B\rightrightarrows C$ consists of $q:C\to Q$, $s:Q\to C$ and $t:C\to B$ satisfyingThese 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 $U_m^{m+1}:{\mathcal{C}}_{m+1}\to {\mathcal{C}}_m$ for one step in the nested partial unary operation category tower. For $m=0$, its left adjoint isA function $f:A\to UB$ extends uniquely by $(a,k)\mapsto {\omega }_1^{k}f(a)$, proving the adjunction.

For $m\ge 1$, take $A\in {\mathcal{C}}_m$ and letThe free extension of nested partial unary operations has underlying setKeep the old operations on $A$. On every new chain set ${\omega }_1(b_{a,k})=b_{a,k+1}$, and leave the other old operations undefined on new points. Define the new operation by ${\omega }_{m+1}(a)=b_{a,0}$ for $a\in S_m(A)$, and nowhere else. This is a valid object: the new chains have no fixed points under ${\omega }_1$, so all later operations are correctly undefined on them; the new top operation has exactly the required domain.

If $f:A\to U_m^{m+1}B$ preserves the old operations, it carries $S_m(A)$ into $S_m(B)$. Its unique extension isThe 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 $T_m=U_m^{m+1}{F}_m^{m+1}$. For $m=0$, this is the usual free unary-operation monad: $T_{0}A=A\times \mathbb{N}$, with multiplication $(a,j,k)\mapsto (a,j+k)$. An algebra action $h:A\times \mathbb{N}\to A$ obeys $h(a,0)=a$ and $h(h(a,j),k)=h(a,j+k)$. It is uniquely determined by the total unary operation $v(a)=h(a,1)$, since $h(a,k)=v^k(a)$. Algebra morphisms are exactly functions commuting with $v$. Thus ${\mathcal{C}}_0^{T_0}\cong {\mathcal{C}}_1$.

For $m\ge 1$, no new chain point belongs to $S_m(T_{m}A)$, so $S_m(T_{m}A)=S_m(A)$. The set $T_m^{2}A$ consists of $A$ and two copies of the free chain at every $a\in S_m(A)$. Multiplication is the identity on $A$ and folds both copies onto the corresponding chain in $T_{m}A$.

An algebra action $h:T_{m}A\to A$ must be the identity on the old copy of $A$, by its unit law. Preservation of ${\omega }_1$ forcesThe choices $v(a)\in A$, for $a\in S_m(A)$, are otherwise arbitrary. There are no higher old operations to preserve on new points. Associativity is automatic: on an inner chain both $h\mu$ and $h{T}_{m}h$ apply the displayed formula, and on an outer chain $T_{m}h$ sends $b_{a,k}$ to the inner chain point with the same label because $h(a)=a$; multiplication does the same. Therefore $h\mu =h{T}_{m}h$ on every point.

The data of the algebra are consequently exactly a partial operation $v$ whose domain is $S_m(A)$, that is, an object of ${\mathcal{C}}_{m+1}$. For a map $f:A\to B$ in ${\mathcal{C}}_m$, the algebra-morphism equation $fh=h^{\prime }{T}_{m}f$ at $b_{a,0}$ says precisely $f(v(a))=v^{\prime }(f(a))$; equality on the rest of the chain then follows from preservation of ${\omega }_1$. Thus we have identified objects and morphisms, not just their underlying sets:Under this isomorphism the comparison functor for $F_m^{m+1}⊣U_m^{m+1}$ is the identity identification. Hence every one-step forgetful adjunction is monadic.

Now take $n>m$. 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 $m=0$, 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 $F_m^n$ to $U_m^n:{\mathcal{C}}_n\to {\mathcal{C}}_m$.

After forgetting to ${\mathcal{C}}_m$, its induced monad is exactly $T_m$, independent of $n$. 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 $m=0$ or the same folding of the two chain copies for $m\ge 1$. Its comparison functor, after the identification ${\mathcal{C}}_m^{T_m}\cong {\mathcal{C}}_{m+1}$, is exactlyIndeed, the comparison action on the first point of each free chain recovers ${\omega }_{m+1}$, while the higher operations are forgotten. Thus each comparison step recovers exactly one additional operation. After $n$ steps from sets, the comparison is the identity of ${\mathcal{C}}_n$.

No earlier step is an equivalence. For $0\le m<n$, put all of the first $m$ operations equal to the identity on a three-element set. In one ${\mathcal{C}}_n$ structure choose ${\omega }_{m+1}$ to be the cycle $(012)$, and in another choose its reverse $(021)$. Both have no fixed points at this stage, so every higher operation is undefined. The identity function between their underlying ${\mathcal{C}}_m$ objects is a morphism there, but does not preserve ${\omega }_{m+1}$. Hence $U_m^n$ is not full, and cannot be an equivalence. This also applies for $m=0$, when there are no old operations. We conclude