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    • CommentRowNumber1.
    • CommentAuthorYimingXu
    • CommentTimeMar 2nd 2022
    • (edited Mar 2nd 2022)

    Hi, all.

    I am confused by the following sentence from the document here

    In page 1249, The paper says:

    By Theorem 3, 2 op22^{op}\cong 2

    Theorem 3 says “any generator with exactly three endomorphisms is isomorphic to 22”, therefore, to show 2 op22^{op}\cong 2, there are two things to check: 1. 2 op2^{op} is a generator, 2. there are exactly three functors 2 op2 op2^{op} \to 2^{op}.

    I agree that the axioms (A op) op=A(A^{op})^{op} = A and (F op) op=F(F^{op})^{op} = F makes sure that there is a one-to-one correspondence from functors ABA \to B to functors A opB opA^{op} \to B^{op}. My confusion is to show the first point, that is, why is 2 op2^{op} a generator? That is, given functors f,g:ABf,g:A\to B such that fg f \neq g, how can we come up with a functor a:2 opAa:2^{op} \to A such that fagaf\circ a \neq g \circ a?

    The author does not say anything like “we have an isomorphism 22 op2\to 2^{op}”, and the paper does not assume any “extensionality of categories” (i.e., we are not able to say two categories are equal iff they have equal collection of objects and a equal collection of arrows), therefore, the assumption (A op) op=A(A^{op})^{op} = A does not really say anything about the objects an arrows of A opA^{op}, since the operation is applied on AA, not on its object (which are defined to be functors 1A1\to A), and not on its arrows (which are defined to be functors 2A2\to A). Also note that this sentence is stated before assuming 1=1 op1 = 1^{op} and 2=2 op2 = 2^{op}, instead, the workflow seems to be: the axioms are sufficient to prove 22 op2\cong 2^{op}, and since assuming 2=2 op2 = 2^{op} does not break consistency, we can add this assumption.

    Or is the author sloppy here with the “minor detail”? If so, I think I am in trouble. Any hint to fix this point?

    Thanks to any attempt to help!

    • CommentRowNumber2.
    • CommentAuthorHurkyl
    • CommentTimeMar 2nd 2022
    • (edited Mar 2nd 2022)

    (deleted)

    • CommentRowNumber3.
    • CommentAuthorDavidRoberts
    • CommentTimeMar 4th 2022

    Why doesn’t taking the opposite of the arrow 2A op2\to A^{op} that shows f opg opf^{op}\neq g^{op} work? Since fgf\neq g, we have f opg opf^{op}\neq g^{op}, since () op(-)^{op} is an isomorphism on hom-sets, after all.

    • CommentRowNumber4.
    • CommentAuthorYimingXu
    • CommentTimeMar 4th 2022
    • (edited Mar 4th 2022)

    Why doesn’t taking the opposite of the arrow 2A op2\to A^{op} that shows f opg opf^{op}\neq g^{op} work? Since fgf\neq g, we have f opg opf^{op}\neq g^{op}, since () op(-)^{op} is an isomorphism on hom-sets, after all.

    Thank you very much! I thought too much about comprehension, that was my stupid. I have checked that does work so I am out of trouble!