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 \( B = D \).