Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2017 / iii / Paper 119 / 2

A balanced category is one in which every morphism that is both a monomorphism and an epimorphism is an isomorphism. A faithful functor reflects both of these cancellation properties: for instance, $fu=fv$ implies $FfFu=FfFv$, so monicity of $Ff$ and faithfulness imply $u=v$; the dual argument applies to epimorphisms. If $Ff$ is invertible, it is both monic and epic. Thus a faithful functor from a balanced category reflects isomorphisms.

For the adjunction $F⊣G$, the unit and counit of an adjunction satisfyIf $F$ is a faithful functor and ${\eta }_{A}u={\eta }_{A}v$, applying $F$ and composing with ${\epsilon }_{FA}$ gives $Fu=Fv$, hence $u=v$. Thus each ${\eta }_A$ is a monomorphism. Conversely, if every ${\eta }_A$ is monic and $Fu=Fv$ for $u,v:X\to A$, naturality givesso $u=v$. This proves the faithful left adjoint criterion.

Now assume both $\eta$ and $\epsilon$ are pointwise monic. The first triangle identity makes ${\epsilon }_{FA}$ a split epimorphism; since it is also a monomorphism, it is invertible and $F{\eta }_A$ is its inverse. The faithful left adjoint criterion says that $F$ is faithful, and the balanced category argument above then reflects the invertibility of $F{\eta }_A$ to that of ${\eta }_A$.

For completeness, an invertible unit makes $F$ a full and faithful functor. For $h:FA\to F{A}^{\prime }$, set $k={\eta }_{A^{\prime }}^{-1}G(h){\eta }_A$. The triangle identity gives $F{\eta }_A={\epsilon }_{FA}^{-1}$, so naturality of $\epsilon$ yieldsFaithfulness was already proved.

Let $q:FA\to B$ be a strong epimorphism, and putThen naturality gives ${\epsilon }_{B}t=q$. The square with left edge $q$, right edge the monomorphism ${\epsilon }_B$, top edge $t$, and bottom edge $1_B$ has a diagonal $s:B\to FGB$ by the defining lifting property of a strong epimorphism. Thus ${\epsilon }_{B}s=1_B$. A monic split epimorphism is invertible, so $B\cong FGB$. The essential image of $F$ is therefore closed under strong quotients.

Assume $F$ is a full and faithful functor and its essential image is closed under strong quotients. First its unit is invertible. To prove this directly, fullness gives $k:GFA\to A$ with $Fk={\epsilon }_{FA}$. The triangle identity and faithfulness give $k{\eta }_A=1_A$. Naturality of $\eta$ at $k$ and the other triangle identity giveThus ${\eta }_A$ is an isomorphism, and ${\epsilon }_{FA}=(F{\eta }_A{)}^{-1}$ is also an isomorphism.

Factor ${\epsilon }_B$ as a strong epimorphism followed by a monomorphism. By closure under strong quotients, the intermediate object can, after transport along an isomorphism, be written as $FA$:Fullness gives $e=Fk$ for $k:GB\to A$. Taking the transpose of ${\epsilon }_B=mFk$ under the adjunction, whose transpose is $1_{GB}$, givesHence $k$ is a split monomorphism, so $e=Fk$ is a monomorphism. A strong epimorphism which is monic is invertible: apply its lifting property to the square with that same map on both sides and identity top and bottom edges. Thus $e$ is invertible and ${\epsilon }_B=me$ is monic. We have proved the pointwise-monic unit-and-counit criterion:For a counterexample without the balanced hypothesis, use the pointwise-monic adjunction over a non-balanced poset. Let $\mathcal{C}=\{0<1\}$ and let $\mathcal{D}$ have one object and only its identity. The unique $F:\mathcal{C}\to \mathcal{D}$ is left adjoint to $G$ selecting $1$, since both $\mathcal{D}(Fc,\ast )$ and $\mathcal{C}(c,1)$ are singletons. All morphisms in a poset viewed as a category are monomorphisms, so the unit and counit are monic. However $F$ is not full: the identity $F1\to F0$ has no preimage $1\to 0$. The arrow $0\to 1$ is both monic and epic but not invertible, so $\mathcal{C}$ is not a balanced category. The balanced hypothesis cannot be dropped.