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\( \newcommand{\cat}[1] {\mathrm{#1}} \newcommand{\catobj}[1] {\operatorname{Obj}(\mathrm{#1})} \newcommand{\cathom}[1] {\operatorname{Hom}_{\cat{#1}}} \newcommand{\multiBetaReduction}[0] {\twoheadrightarrow_{\beta}} \newcommand{\betaReduction}[0] {\rightarrow_{\beta}} \newcommand{\betaEq}[0] {=_{\beta}} \newcommand{\string}[1] {\texttt{"}\mathtt{#1}\texttt{"}} \newcommand{\symbolq}[1] {\texttt{`}\mathtt{#1}\texttt{'}} \)
Math and science::Algebra::Aluffi

Category. Definition.

Category

A category \( \cat{C} \) consists of:

  • a class of objects, denoted as \( \catobj{C} \)
  • a set, denoted as \( \cathom{C}(A, B) \), for any objects \( A \) and \( B \) of \( \cat{C} \). The elements are called morphisms.

The set of morphisms must have the following properties:

Identity
For each object \( A \in \catobj{C} \), there exists (at least) one morphism [\( ? \in \; \cathom{C}(?, ?) \)], called the identity on \( A\).
Composition
Morphisms can be composed: any two morphisms \( f \in \cathom{C}(A, B) \) and \( g \in \cathom{C}(B, C) \) [determine/imply what??].
Associativity of composition
For any \( f \in \cathom{C}(A, B) \), \( g \in \cathom{C}(B, C) \) and \( h \in \cathom{C}(C, D) \), we have:
[\[ ? \quad = \quad ? \]]
Identity law
The identity morphisms are identities with respect to composition. For any \( f \in \cathom{C}(A, B) \), we have:
[\[ f \, ? = f, \quad ? f = f\]]
Morphism sets are disjoint
For any \( A, B, C, D \in \catobj{C} \), then \( \cathom{C}(A, B) \) and \( \cathom{C}(C, D) \) are disjoint unless \( A = C \) and \( B = D \).