Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2008 / iii / Paper 26 / 6 / Solution

An abelian category is an additive category with kernels in a category and cokernels in a category in which the canonical comparison from coimage to image of every morphism is an isomorphism. This is the standard image-coimage form of the definition, equivalently expressed by normality of every monomorphism and epimorphism. Additivity means abelian-group hom-sets with bilinear composition, a zero object and finite biproducts. A sequence is exact at an object when the image of the incoming morphism is the kernel in a category of the outgoing one.

For $f:X\to Y$, construct $q:X\to \mathrm{coim}f=\mathrm{coker}(\ker f)$ and $j:\mathrm{im}f=\ker (\mathrm{coker}f)\to Y$. The universal properties give $f=j\bar{f}q$: first $f$ kills its kernel in a category and factors through $q$; then the resulting map is killed by $\mathrm{coker}f$ because $q$ is epic, so it factors through $j$. The comparison $\bar{f}$ is invertible by the abelian axiom. Cokernels in a category are epic and kernels in a category monic, directly by uniqueness in their universal properties, so $e=\bar{f}q$ is epic and $j$ monic. Thus $\boxed{f=je\text{ is an epimorphism-monomorphism factorization}}$.

In a short exact sequence $0\to X\stackrel{i}{\to }Y\stackrel{p}{\to }Z\to 0$, we have $i=\ker p$ and $p=\mathrm{coker}i$, up to the canonical isomorphisms. If $r:Y\to X$ retracts $i$, the map $1_Y-ir$ kills $i$ and factors as $sp$ for some $s:Z\to Y$. Composing with $p$ gives $psp=p$, so epicity gives $ps=1_Z$. Conversely if $ps=1_Z$, then $1_Y-sp$ is killed by $p$ and factors as $ir$. Composing with $i$ gives $iri=i$, so monicity gives $ri=1_X$. ConsequentlyIn that case $Y\cong X\oplus Z$.

For the derived-functor requests, use additive right exact functors, as customary in abelian homological algebra. An abelian category with enough projectives permits an augmented projective resolution $\cdots \to P_2\to P_1\to P_0\to X\to 0$, obtained by repeatedly taking an epimorphism from a projective onto the previous kernel in a category. Apply $F$ and defineProjective lifts construct maps of resolutions; the comparison and chain-homotopy results make the construction independent of choices and functorial. For a short exact sequence, the horseshoe construction produces a degreewise split short exact sequence of resolutions, hence of their images under additive $F$. Its homology objects give the long exact sequenceThis supplies the requested sketch; detailed comparison and functoriality proofs are not needed here.

A projective object $X$ has a resolution concentrated in degree zero, so $L_{1}F(X)=0$ for every such $F$. Conversely choose $0\to K\stackrel{i}{\to }P\to X\to 0$ with $P$ projective, and take $F=\mathcal{A}(-,K)$ with target ${\mathbf{Ab}}^{\mathrm{op}}$. Precomposition makes this covariant to the opposite category. The usual left exactness of contravariant Hom, which follows directly from the cokernel in a category universal property, says exactly that this $F$ is right exact in that opposite target. If $L_{1}F(X)=0$, the long exact sequence and $L_{1}F(P)=0$ make $F(K)\to F(P)$ monic in ${\mathbf{Ab}}^{\mathrm{op}}$. Equivalently,is epic, hence surjective, in abelian groups. The identity of $K$ has a preimage, giving a retraction of $i$. The sequence splits, and $X$ is a direct summand of $P$, hence projective: a lifting problem for $X$ extends along the projection $P\to X$, is solved for $P$, and restricts along the summand inclusion. ThereforeThis is projectivity detected by all first left derived functors. The following parts prove the three requested equivalent formulations of a hereditary abelian category with enough projectives.