Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2009 / iii / Paper 23 / 8 / b / Solution

For each algebra for a monad $(A,a)$, consider the specific pair in $\mathcal{D}$Then the exact condition isEach pair is reflexive, with common section $F{\eta }_A$: the two composite identities follow from $a{\eta }_A=1_A$ and ${\epsilon }_{FA}F{\eta }_A=1_{FA}$. Thus existence of all reflexive coequalizers is sufficient, but the displayed specified pairs give the necessary-and-sufficient condition.

To prove it, take $h:FA\to d$ and its adjoint transpose $x=Gh{\eta }_A:A\to Gd$. The transpose of $hFa$ is $xa$, by naturality of $\eta$. The transpose of $h{\epsilon }_{FA}$ isMoreover counit naturality and a triangle identity giveBecause transposition is bijective, the coequalizing equation is therefore equivalent toThe right side says exactly that $x:(A,a)\to Kd$ is a monad algebra morphism.

For sufficiency, choose a coequalizer $q_a:FA\to L(A,a)$ for every monad algebra. Its universal property and the equivalence just proved give natural bijectionsTo see explicitly that the chosen objects form a functor, an monad algebra morphism $u:(A,a)\to (B,b)$ makes $q_{b}Fu$ coequalize the pair for $a$: use $ua=bTu$ and naturality of the counit. Hence there is a unique $Lu$ with $Lu{q}_a=q_{b}Fu$. Uniqueness proves its identity and composition laws and the naturality of the displayed bijections. Thus $L⊣K$.

Conversely, suppose $L⊣K$ with unit ${\lambda }_{(A,a)}:(A,a)\to KL(A,a)$. Transpose its underlying arrow $A\to GL(A,a)$ through $F⊣G$ to obtain $q_a:FA\to L(A,a)$. Since the unit is an monad algebra morphism, the equivalence above shows that $q_a$ coequalizes the specified pair. Any coequalizing $h:FA\to d$ transposes to an monad algebra map $(A,a)\to Kd$, which factors uniquely through the unit by $L⊣K$. Transposing back gives a unique factorization of $h$ through $q_a$. Thus $q_a$ is the required coequalizer. This proves both directions of the Left adjoint to the Eilenberg-Moore comparison functor criterion.