Full faithfulness from counit coequalizers 2026-10-07
If each standard counit presentation is a coequalizer, the Eilenberg-Moore comparison functor is full and faithful. An monad algebra morphism makes equalize and ; its unique descent is the required morphism . The triangle identities for an adjunction make a split epimorphism, so descent has underlying arrow exactly . Epimorphic cancellation at proves faithfulness.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2001 iii Paper 17 10 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
A form of Beck's monadicity theorem compatible with equivalence-based monadic adjunctions is this. A functor is monadic exactly when it has a left adjoint, is a conservative functor, and has coequalizers of all pairs whose images under admit a split coequalizer, with preserving these coequalizers. In the strict lifting formulation, one states creation of these coequalizers. Such a pair is a functor-split coequalizer pair; the splitting is required in the base category, not necessarily upstairs.
A split coequalizer fork has maps and such thatEvery functor preserves this coequalizer: if , then , and is split epic, so the factor through is unique. The same equations remain true after applying any functor.
For necessity, let be the monad algebra forgetful functor. It has the free-algebra left adjoint. It reflects isomorphisms, because if an algebra map is invertible in , the equation rearranges to .
If two algebra maps have an underlying split coequalizer , then and are also coequalizers. Since equalizes , there is a unique satisfyingAfter composing with the epimorphism , the equation reduces to the unit law for . After composing with the epimorphism , the equation reduces to . Thus is an algebra and an algebra map. If an algebra map equalizes , its unique underlying factor satisfies : this follows by precomposing with the epimorphism . Therefore this is a coequalizer upstairs as well. This proves that the monad algebra forgetful functor creates split coequalizers. The same properties transport through the comparison equivalence of categories, with the object-lifting convention distinguished in Question 9.
For sufficiency, suppose the three conditions hold, choose , and let with comparison . For each algebra , consider the pairIts image has coequalizer . It is split: take , , , and . The monad and algebra laws giveBy hypothesis the pair has a coequalizer and is also a coequalizer. Identify with using the unique coequalizer isomorphism, so . Since is carried by to an algebra map from the free algebra, the transported action satisfiesBut is a split epimorphism, with right inverse , so . Hence : the comparison is essentially surjective.
Next, for every , put . The counit of an adjunction coequalizesThis follows from naturality of the counit. The image pair has the split coequalizer , as above. If is the hypothesized preserved coequalizer, the induced map has invertible because both and coequalize the same pair. Conservativity makes invertible. Therefore itself is a coequalizer.
Let be an algebra map, so . Set . Under the adjunction transpose bijection, the two composites of with the displayed presentation pair correspond respectively to and . They are equal, so factors uniquely through , giving with . Applying yieldsSince is split epic, . Thus is full. If , the transposes of and are equal, so those composites agree. The counit is epic, hence ; thus is faithful.
The comparison is full, faithful and essentially surjective, so it is an equivalence of categories. This proves monadicity. The argument also explains the role of each hypothesis: split base presentations construct all algebras, and reflection of isomorphisms turns the counit presentations into actual coequalizers upstairs.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2002 iii Paper 20 1 iv Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
We first justify the relevant pointwise epimorphism in a functor category criterion. A componentwise surjective function gives an epimorphism, because equality of two composites can be cancelled at each component. Conversely, for a natural transformation , form the pointwise pushout . Restrictions of preserve the identifications imposed by , so these pointwise sets and restrictions form a categorical presheaf. The two inclusions satisfy . If is epic, . At an object , an element outside the image of would retain two distinct copies in , contradicting this equality. Thus every is surjective.
Apply this criterion to at . Surjectivity of supplies with . Conversely, if , then , making a split epimorphism and hence an epimorphism. Therefore
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 18 1 iv Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
If has a section , functoriality gives . Thus is a split epimorphism and in particular an epimorphism.
For the converse, justify the needed pointwise surjectivity directly. Let be the image subpresheaf of . Form a new presheaf by taking, at every object, two copies of and identifying their elements in . Restriction maps descend because is a subpresheaf. The two canonical transformations agree after . If any component of is proper, an element outside it distinguishes from . Therefore epimorphicity forces every component of to be surjective.
In particular, its component at has in its image: there is with . This proves the Yoneda embedding detects split epimorphisms criterionOrdinary epimorphicity of alone would not suffice.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 26 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
A monad on a category consists of an endofunctor , a unit natural transformation , and a multiplication , satisfyingAn algebra for a monad is with and . A morphism of algebras for a monad satisfies . These objects and arrows form the Eilenberg-Moore category .
For an adjunction with , the monad induced by an adjunction is , with . The Eilenberg-Moore comparison functor is and . The functor is monadic when this comparison is an equivalence of categories; this is a monadic adjunction.
The precise monadicity theorem says that is monadic exactly when it has a left adjoint, reflects isomorphisms, and satisfies the following condition: whenever the image of a parallel pair in admits a split coequalizer in , the pair has a coequalizer in and preserves that coequalizer. Equivalently, these coequalizers are created up to the canonical isomorphism identifying their underlying coequalizer objects. Here a split coequalizer of consists of , , and withThese equations prove its universal property: if , then , and is the unique factor through . Every functor preserves these equations, so every functor preserves split coequalizers.
First consider the forgetful functor . It has the free algebra functor as a left adjoint: the inverse transposition formulas are and . An monad algebra morphism whose underlying arrow is invertible has an algebra-morphism inverse, by rearranging its structure equation. Thus reflects isomorphisms.
Suppose have an underlying split coequalizer . Applying gives a coequalizer of . The equation therefore gives a unique with . The monad algebra laws follow by cancellation: composing with the epimorphism reduces it to , and composing with reduces it to . Both and are epimorphisms because they remain split coequalizers. Thus is an algebra for a monad and is an monad algebra morphism. If an algebra map equalizes , its underlying factor obeys , since this equation becomes after composition with . This proves that creates the required coequalizers. An equivalence of categories transfers these properties to any monadic , proving necessity.
Conversely assume the three conditions and write . Given , take the pairIts image is , with split coequalizer : the splittings are and , becauseLet be its coequalizer in . Preservation gives a canonical isomorphism under which . Transporting the algebra action of along this isomorphism gives . Naturality of the adjunction counit says that is an monad algebra morphism, hence . But too, and is a split epimorphism, with section . Therefore . Every algebra is consequently isomorphic to some .
It remains to establish full faithfulness, rather than merely construct objects. For , put . The adjunction counit coequalizes . The coequalizer supplied by the hypothesis has underlying coequalizer . The induced arrow from that coequalizer object to is therefore sent by to an isomorphism; reflection of isomorphisms makes it invertible. Thus itself is this coequalizer.
Now let be an monad algebra morphism, and put . The arrow coequalizes the two arrows in the preceding presentation. To check this directly, use transposition along : the transposes of and are respectively and , which agree by the algebra-morphism equation. Hence a unique satisfies . Applying gives ; cancellation of the split epimorphism yields . Finally, any arrow satisfies by naturality, so two arrows with equal image under are equal by the coequalizer property. The comparison is full and faithful and essentially surjective, hence an equivalence of categories. This proves the theorem.
For the application, the free compact Hausdorff space on a set is the Stone-Čech compactification of the corresponding discrete space. Its standard extension property says that every set map , for compact Hausdorff , extends uniquely to a continuous map . This constructs the required left adjoint. Also a continuous bijection from a compact space to a Hausdorff space is a homeomorphism, so reflects isomorphisms.
Take continuous maps whose underlying functions have a split coequalizer with splittings . The splittings need not be continuous. LetThe set is compact and hence closed. Since , it is contained in . Conversely . ThusThe set of triples on the right is closed in the compact Hausdorff space , so its projection onto the first two coordinates is compact and closed. This proves that the equivalence relation is closed, without assuming continuity of either splitting.
Give the quotient topology. The allowed closed-relation criterion makes it a compact Hausdorff space. If a continuous map equalizes , the split-coequalizer property makes it constant on the fibres of ; its unique factor is continuous by the quotient topology. Hence this is a coequalizer in compact Hausdorff spaces, preserved by . Its topology is forced uniquely, since any continuous surjection from a compact space to a Hausdorff space is a quotient map. All three conditions hold, and therefore the forgetful functor from compact Hausdorff spaces to sets is monadic.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 24 1 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
We use the general adjoint functor theorem in its solution-set form. Let be a functor between locally small categories, with a complete category. Then has a left adjoint exactly when it preserves all small categorical limits and, for each , there is a set-indexed familysuch that every factors as for some and some . This is the solution-set condition. The indexing family is a set, whereas the entire comma category can be large.
We first prove the initial-object lemma for complete categories with a weakly initial set. Let be locally small and complete, with a weakly initial set . Its product in a category is weakly initial: follow a projection by a map from the corresponding to any desired object. The hom-set is a set, so we can form the simultaneous equalizerThis is a small limit; equivalently, equalize the family of endomorphisms with the family of identity maps into a product of copies of . Every object receives a map from , since it receives one from .
To prove uniqueness, let , and take their equalizer . Weak initiality of gives . Since is an endomorphism of , the defining property of givesThe monomorphism cancels, yielding . Thus is both a monomorphism and a split epimorphism, hence an isomorphism. Its equalizer property now implies . Therefore is initial.
Fix . Small categorical limits in are obtained from the limits in : preservation by supplies the unique map from to the image of the limiting object. The comma category is locally small, and the solution family is a weakly initial set in it. The lemma supplies an initial object .
For , initiality gives a unique arrow satisfying . Uniqueness proves preservation of identities and composition, so is a functor. Initiality also gives natural bijectionswhich prove .
Conversely, if , the singleton is a solution set by the adjunction bijection. To see that preserves a small limit , use the adjunction and the limit property to obtain, naturally in ,This is precisely the universal property of the image limit cone. It proves the necessity of both hypotheses.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 25 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Both alternatives can be proved using the same smallness mechanism. We first establish the initial-object lemma for complete categories with a weakly initial set, then obtain the two adjoint functor existence theorems and their applications.
Let be a locally small category with all small categorical limits and a weakly initial set . Its product in a category is weakly initial: given any object, choose a map from some and compose with the corresponding projection. Take the simultaneous equalizer of every endomorphism of and its identity; local smallness makes this a small categorical limit. Then is also weakly initial. If , form their equalizer and choose . Since is an endomorphism of , the construction of gives . Cancelling the monomorphism yields . Thus is both a monomorphism and a split epimorphism, hence invertible, and . There is therefore exactly one arrow from to every object: is initial.
The Freyd general adjoint functor theorem says that for a functor between locally small categories, with complete, a left adjoint exists exactly when preserves all small categorical limits and satisfies the solution-set condition. That condition requires, for each , a set of arrows such that every factors as for some and .
For sufficiency, the comma category is locally small and complete: form a diagram's categorical limit in , and use categorical limit preservation to obtain its arrow from . The solution set is a weakly initial set in this comma category. The lemma provides an initial object . Its universal property givesFor , define by . Uniqueness proves the identity and composition laws and naturality of the displayed bijections, hence . Conversely, an adjunction makes preserve categorical limits, since the corresponding hom-set functors turn a categorical limit cone into a categorical limit of sets. The single arrow is a solution set. This proves both directions of the theorem.
Now let have small domain and codomain. The functor categories and are locally small, and their categorical limits are pointwise. Thus the precomposition functor preserves categorical limits and its domain is complete. To verify its solution-set condition, fix and an arrow . Let be the subfunctor generated by all elements , where and . Explicitly,These sets are stable under every . If is an infinite cardinal bounding and , every has cardinal at most . Replace each such set by a subset of a fixed set of size . There is only a set of choices of these subsets, of their action maps for the set of arrows of , and of maps from to their restrictions. These coded pairs form a solution set: factors through and then the inclusion . The general theorem now yieldsIts values may also be written , the usual left Kan extension formula.
For the other alternative, the categorical limit form of the Special adjoint functor theorem says that a limit-preserving functor has a left adjoint if is locally small, complete and well-powered, has a cogenerating set , and is locally small. A cogenerating set means that maps into its members distinguish any two parallel arrows. The dual theorem says that a colimit-preserving functor from a locally small, cocomplete, well-copowered category with a small generating family has a right adjoint. These conclusions are also necessary in their preservation clauses.
Here is a proof of the special theorem rather than an invocation of the general theorem without its required solution set. Given , intersect all subobjects through which factors after application of . There are only a set of them by well-poweredness. Their intersection is a wide pullback, preserved by , so gives a smallest supporting pair . If satisfy , their equalizer is a supporting subobject. Minimality makes that equalizer invertible, whence . Consequentlyis injective. The cogenerating property makes the evaluation arrow from into the product in a category of the , one factor for each map , a monic arrow. Its indexing set at each is identified with a subset of the fixed set . Only a set of such products in a category can occur. Each has only a set of subobjects, and each possible subobject has only a set of arrows from into its image under . These pairs give a weakly initial set in , since every original pair receives the arrow from its minimal supporting pair. The complete-category lemma now gives the adjoint. Reversing all arrows proves the colimit form of the special theorem.
Apply that dual form to . Its domain is cocomplete and locally small, and preserves pointwise colimits. The set of covariant representable functors generates the domain: by the Yoneda lemma, maps from these representables probe every element at every object and hence distinguish distinct natural transformations. Finally, epimorphisms in this functor category are pointwise surjective. Indeed, their pointwise images form subfunctors; if an image is proper, the two inclusions into the pointwise pushout of two copies of the target over that image distinguish the original map, contradicting epicity. Quotients of a fixed functor are therefore specified by compatible equivalence relations on its sets of values, and form a set. Thus the domain is a well-copowered category. All special-theorem hypotheses hold, givingHere the Right Kan extension can be written . In particular both requested adjoints exist, although the two proofs use different smallness hypotheses.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2008 iii Paper 26 4 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Assume both unit and counit are monic. The unit criterion makes faithful. The triangle identity is . Since is monic, this split epimorphism is an isomorphism: cancelling it in gives . Thus is invertible. As is balanced, the reflection result in the root solution makes invertible. Hence is full and faithful.
Let be a regular epimorphism. Its adjunct factorization is for . A regular epimorphism is extremal: if a coequalizer factors through a monomorphism , its other factor also coequalizes the defining pair, descends through , and gives a right inverse for ; monicity then makes invertible. Apply this to the monic . More explicitly, if coequalizes , monicity gives , so there is with . Then implies , and monicity gives . Therefore . The image is closed under regular quotients, proving .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 23 6 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The Freyd general adjoint functor theorem is as follows. Let , with a complete category which is locally small. Then has a left adjoint if and only if it preserves all small categorical limits and satisfies the solution-set condition: for each , there is a set-indexed familysuch that every can be written for some and some . The target category need not be complete. We prove all the existence steps.
First establish the initial-object lemma for complete categories with a weakly initial set. Let be locally small and complete, with a weakly initial set , meaning every object receives a map from at least one . Its categorical product is weakly initial: compose a categorical product projection with the map from the appropriate . Local smallness makes a set. Let be the simultaneous equaliser of every endomorphism of and the identity. Explicitly it is the equaliser of the two arrowswith components and . Thus for every endomorphism , and is monic.
Every object receives a morphism from , by composing with a map . To prove uniqueness, take parallel maps and their equaliser . Weak initiality of gives . The composite is an endomorphism of , so . Cancelling the monomorphism gives . Hence is both monic and a split epimorphism, and is therefore invertible. Since , this forces . We have proved is initial, without using a class-sized categorical product or equaliser.
For sufficiency in the theorem, fix and consider the comma category . Its objects are pairs ; a morphism satisfies . This category is locally small because each hom-set is a subset of . It is complete: for a small diagram of such pairs, take the underlying categorical limit in . The arrows from form a cone to its image under , and preservation of the categorical limit gives a unique inducing them. The same universal property gives all mediators in the comma category. The solution-set family is a weakly initial set in this comma category, so the lemma supplies an initial pairFor , initiality defines a unique satisfying . Uniqueness proves the identity and composition laws, making a functor. Initiality also gives bijectionsThe definition of proves naturality in , and postcomposition proves naturality in . These bijections are the required adjunction .
For necessity, if , the single arrow is a solution set: the transpose of any gives its factorization through . If is a limiting cone vertex of a small diagram in , then, naturally in ,These are the canonical cone-factorization bijections, so with its image projections is a categorical limit of . Thus preserves all small categorical limits, completing both directions of the theorem.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 18 2 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
A split coequalizer consists of , , and with , , and . If , then . Thus factors through , and the factor is unique because has the right inverse . This proves the coequalizer property directly. Every functor preserves the diagram, since all these equations are preserved.
For idempotent splitting through a coequalizer, first suppose with . Then . Any satisfying factors as , uniquely since is a split epimorphism. Hence coequalizes .
Conversely, let coequalize . Since , the arrow itself equalizes the pair, so there is a unique with . Then , and every coequalizer is an epimorphism, so . Thus is a splitting of an idempotent morphism.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 18 5 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
An initial object by itself is a weakly initial set. For the converse, let be a small weakly initial family and form its product in a category . Given , choose an arrow ; its composite with the projection shows that is weakly initial.
Local smallness makes a set, so completeness supplies the simultaneous equalizer of all endomorphisms of with . Thus for every . The object is weakly initial because it maps to .
For parallel arrows , take their equalizer . Weak initiality of supplies . The endomorphism of satisfies , and monicity of gives . Therefore is both a monomorphism and a split epimorphism, hence an isomorphism. Since , we obtain . There is already at least one arrow from to every , so is initial. This proves the initial-object lemma for complete categories with a weakly initial set, with smallness used exactly where the endomorphisms are equalized.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 18 6 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
We prove full faithfulness from counit coequalizers. Let and let be an monad algebra morphism. ThusSet . Its composites with the two arrows of the printed presentation are equal: naturality of givesIn the last equality we used naturality at . The coequalizer property therefore gives a unique satisfying .
Apply to that identity. The algebra-morphism equation gives . The triangle identity makes a split epimorphism with section , so . This proves fullness of .
If have , naturality gives . The counit is epic since it is a coequalizer, so . Thus is a faithful functor. Both parallel arrows matter: the converted TeX loses the second one, , which is visible in the original PDF.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 18 5 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For , the comma category has objects with and . A morphism is satisfying . Identities and composition are those of , and functoriality of verifies the condition under composition.
The Freyd general adjoint functor theorem states: if is a locally small category with all small categorical limits, and is locally small, then has a left adjoint if and only if it preserves small limits and satisfies the solution-set condition. The latter means that for each there is a set-indexed family such that every equals for some and some .
For necessity, use the standard result that a right adjoint preserves categorical limits. If , the singleton family containing the unit of an adjunction is a solution set, since transposition gives for a unique .
For sufficiency, use the following standard limit fact: if is complete and preserves limits, the projection creates small limits. Indeed, a compatible family induces a unique arrow into , and this makes the underlying limit a limit in the comma category. The comma category is locally small because each of its hom-sets is a subset of a hom-set of . Its solution family is a weakly initial set.
We prove the remaining initial-object lemma for complete categories with a weakly initial set. In any locally small category with all small limits and a weakly initial set , form . It is weakly initial: for any , some exists and may be composed with the projection . The empty family cannot be weakly initial in a nonempty complete category, which has a terminal object.
The set is small. Form a simultaneous equalizer of every endomorphism of and ; thusThis equalizer exists by completeness, for example as the equalizer of two maps . The object is still weakly initial, since it maps to .
Given , take their equalizer . Weak initiality of gives . Since is an endomorphism of , we have , and cancellation of the monomorphism gives . Thus is a split epimorphism as well as a monomorphism, so it is an isomorphism. From follows . There is at least one map by weak initiality, so is initial.
Apply this lemma to every and choose its initial object . For , initiality gives the unique satisfying . Uniqueness proves the functor laws. The same initiality gives natural bijectionsHence , completing the theorem without invoking another adjoint functor theorem.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 119 2 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
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, implies , so monicity of and faithfulness imply ; the dual argument applies to epimorphisms. If is invertible, it is both monic and epic. Thus a faithful functor from a balanced category reflects isomorphisms.
For the adjunction , the unit and counit of an adjunction satisfyIf is a faithful functor and , applying and composing with gives , hence . Thus each is a monomorphism. Conversely, if every is monic and for , naturality givesso . This proves the faithful left adjoint criterion.
Now assume both and are pointwise monic. The first triangle identity makes a split epimorphism; since it is also a monomorphism, it is invertible and is its inverse. The faithful left adjoint criterion says that is faithful, and the balanced category argument above then reflects the invertibility of to that of .
For completeness, an invertible unit makes a full and faithful functor. For , set . The triangle identity gives , so naturality of yieldsFaithfulness was already proved.
Let be a strong epimorphism, and putThen naturality gives . The square with left edge , right edge the monomorphism , top edge , and bottom edge has a diagonal by the defining lifting property of a strong epimorphism. Thus . A monic split epimorphism is invertible, so . The essential image of is therefore closed under strong quotients.
Retract in a category 2026-09-28
An object is a retract of when there are morphisms and with . The map is a split monomorphism and is a split epimorphism.