Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2009 / iii / Paper 23 / 5

A poset becomes a category whose objects are its elements and whose hom-set $X(x,y)$ is a singleton if $x\le y$ and empty otherwise. Reflexivity supplies identity arrows and transitivity supplies composition; all possible composites are unique, so the category axioms hold. Antisymmetry says that isomorphic objects are equal. A functor between such categories is exactly an order-preserving function: an inequality must be sent to an inequality, and there is no further choice of arrow map.

Since the hom-sets in these categories are either empty or singleton, an adjunction $f⊣g$ is precisely the conditionThe hom-set bijections are then the unique possible ones, and naturality is automatic. This is a Galois connection between the two posets.

Equivalently, the monotone functions satisfy the unit and counit inequalities $x\le gf(x)$ and $fg(y)\le y$. The equivalence implies these by taking $y=f(x)$ and $x=g(y)$. Conversely, if the inequalities hold, $f(x)\le y$ implies $x\le gf(x)\le g(y)$, while $x\le g(y)$ implies $f(x)\le fg(y)\le y$.

For $X\subseteq A$, defineBoth are monotone maps $PA\to PB$. For $Y\subseteq B$,so direct image is a left adjoint to inverse image. Also,so the fiberwise universal condition gives the right adjoint. ThereforeAn empty fiber satisfies the universal condition vacuously, so every point outside $p[A]$ belongs to ${\forall }_p(X)$, regardless of $X$. This is essential when $p$ is not surjective.

For a categorical presheaf $P$ on the open subsets, define the functors on objects byTo prove $L⊣\Delta$, a natural transformation $t:P\to \Delta A$ must satisfyfor every open $U$, since the restrictions of $\Delta A$ are identities. Thus it is determined by the function $P(\varnothing )\to A$. Conversely such a function defines all $t_U$ by that equation, and the categorical presheaf restriction laws make the components compatible. HenceFor the other adjunction, a transformation $s:\Delta A\to P$ is determined by its component $s_S:A\to P(S)$, sinceEvery function $A\to P(S)$ supplies compatible components by this formula. Therefore $\mathrm{Nat}(\Delta A,P)\cong \mathrm{Set}(A,P(S))$, giving the adjoints to constant presheaves on open sets:These are adjoints of the stated constant-presheaf functor, with its value at every open set including the empty one; no sheafification is involved.