Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2014 / iii / Paper 18 / 1 / c / Solution

Let $g:C\to D$ have the left lifting property against monomorphisms, and suppose $\alpha ,\beta :D\to B$ satisfy $\alpha g=\beta g$. Use the categorical diagonal ${\Delta }_B:B\to B\times B$, which is a monomorphism by part (a). The square with top arrow $\alpha g$, bottom arrow $⟨\alpha ,\beta ⟩$, left arrow $g$ and right arrow ${\Delta }_B$ commutes, since both product components are $\alpha g$.

Its lift $t:D\to B$ satisfies ${\Delta }_{B}t=⟨\alpha ,\beta ⟩$. Applying the two product in a category projections gives $t=\alpha$ and $t=\beta$. Thus $g$ is an epimorphism. This binary-product criterion for lifting-only strong epimorphisms requires binary products, rather than any assumption about equalizers.