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Briefly: there's a simple difference in how they treat 0. That fixed, still neither implies the other in general. In a regular extensive category, a slight modification of the LS definition implies the Elephant one. I suspect they're not fully equivalent I suspect they're not fully equivalent in anything short of a topos. As Mike Shulman points out, even in anything short of a topos they are not equivalent.

The simple difference: 0 is always indecomposable by Lambek and Scott's definition (since any map into 0 is epi), but never by the Elephant's (since the uniqueness condition won't hold; or by considering when the coproduct decomposition is empty). So, let's temporarily change one of the definitions to fix this. I'd suggest we add “…and the map $0 \to X$ is not epi.” to Lambek and Scott's definition. (As you noted, their binary condition generalises to a $k$-ary one; this is just the case $k=0$.)

In eg Top, however, we can see that the Elephant def still doesn't imply the LS def. $[0,1]$ satisfies the former (it's not decomposable by an iso), but not the latter (it is decomposable by an epi). Even more, it’s decomposable by a regular epi (more on this distinction below).

Conversely, the LS definition doesn't imply the Elephant one either; it fails in eg $\mathbf{Set}^\mathrm{op}$, since in $\mathbf{Set}$, $0$ is co-decomposable by iso ($0 \cong A \times 0$) but not co-decomposable by monos (for any map $(f,g) \colon 0 \to A \times B$, not just one but both of $f$ and $g$ are mono).

When do they imply each other? If we upgrade the LS definition to involve regular epis, then in a regular lextensive category, it implies the Elephant definition, if I'm not mistaken. For this, suppose $X$ is “indecomposable by reg epis”, and suppose $X \cong A + B$ — WLOG $X = A + B$. The coproduct inclusions are then jointly reg epi, so one of them is reg epi. But it's also mono (in a lextensive category, every coproduct inclusion is a pullback of $1 \to 1 + 1$, so is mono); so it's iso. There's a little more fiddly stuff to check involving messing around with $0$, but it's all the same sort of thing.

If we again look at just regularEdit from Mike Shulman's comments: if moreover we're in a pretopos, all epis are regular, I'd guess they're completely equivalentso there the original LS definition will imply the Elephant definition. On the other hand, the Elephant definition doesn't imply the LS even in a pretopostopos: the terminal object of (I'd imagine this might be nice to show by working in$\mathbf{Sh}([0,1])$ is a counterexample, essentially for the internal logic)same reasons that $[0,1]$ was a counterexample in $\mathbf{Top}$. Without adding “regular”

However, I wouldn't imagine they're fullythe two definitions are equivalent until we get tofor projective objects… and I guess that's how this situation has arisen, since a common use of indecomposable objects in topos, where all epis theory is the theorem that the indecomposable projectives in a presheaf category are regular — just as an instanceexactly the retracts of representables. (This is useful because it lets us recover the general principle that not-necessarilyidempotent-regular episcompletion of $\mathbf{C}$, which is very rarely well-behavedclose to $\mathbf{C}$ itself, from $[\mathbf{C}^\mathrm{op},\mathbf{Set}]$.)

Briefly: there's a simple difference in how they treat 0. That fixed, still neither implies the other in general. In a regular extensive category, a slight modification of the LS definition implies the Elephant one. I suspect they're not fully equivalent in anything short of a topos.

The simple difference: 0 is always indecomposable by Lambek and Scott's definition (since any map into 0 is epi), but never by the Elephant's (since the uniqueness condition won't hold; or by considering when the coproduct decomposition is empty). So, let's temporarily change one of the definitions to fix this. I'd suggest we add “…and the map $0 \to X$ is not epi.” to Lambek and Scott's definition. (As you noted, their binary condition generalises to a $k$-ary one; this is just the case $k=0$.)

In eg Top, however, we can see that the Elephant def still doesn't imply the LS def. $[0,1]$ satisfies the former (it's not decomposable by an iso), but not the latter (it is decomposable by an epi). Even more, it’s decomposable by a regular epi (more on this distinction below).

Conversely, the LS definition doesn't imply the Elephant one either; it fails in eg $\mathbf{Set}^\mathrm{op}$, since in $\mathbf{Set}$, $0$ is co-decomposable by iso ($0 \cong A \times 0$) but not co-decomposable by monos (for any map $(f,g) \colon 0 \to A \times B$, not just one but both of $f$ and $g$ are mono).

When do they imply each other? If we upgrade the LS definition to involve regular epis, then in a regular lextensive category, it implies the Elephant definition, if I'm not mistaken. For this, suppose $X$ is “indecomposable by reg epis”, and suppose $X \cong A + B$ — WLOG $X = A + B$. The coproduct inclusions are then jointly reg epi, so one of them is reg epi. But it's also mono (in a lextensive category, every coproduct inclusion is a pullback of $1 \to 1 + 1$, so is mono); so it's iso. There's a little more fiddly stuff to check involving messing around with $0$, but it's all the same sort of thing.

If we again look at just regular epis, I'd guess they're completely equivalent in a pretopos (I'd imagine this might be nice to show by working in the internal logic). Without adding “regular”, I wouldn't imagine they're fully equivalent until we get to a topos, where all epis are regular — just as an instance of the general principle that not-necessarily-regular epis very rarely well-behaved.

Briefly: there's a simple difference in how they treat 0. That fixed, still neither implies the other in general. In a regular extensive category, a slight modification of the LS definition implies the Elephant one. I suspect they're not fully equivalent in anything short of a topos. As Mike Shulman points out, even in a topos they are not equivalent.

The simple difference: 0 is always indecomposable by Lambek and Scott's definition (since any map into 0 is epi), but never by the Elephant's (since the uniqueness condition won't hold; or by considering when the coproduct decomposition is empty). So, let's temporarily change one of the definitions to fix this. I'd suggest we add “…and the map $0 \to X$ is not epi.” to Lambek and Scott's definition. (As you noted, their binary condition generalises to a $k$-ary one; this is just the case $k=0$.)

In eg Top, however, we can see that the Elephant def still doesn't imply the LS def. $[0,1]$ satisfies the former (it's not decomposable by an iso), but not the latter (it is decomposable by an epi). Even more, it’s decomposable by a regular epi (more on this distinction below).

Conversely, the LS definition doesn't imply the Elephant one either; it fails in eg $\mathbf{Set}^\mathrm{op}$, since in $\mathbf{Set}$, $0$ is co-decomposable by iso ($0 \cong A \times 0$) but not co-decomposable by monos (for any map $(f,g) \colon 0 \to A \times B$, not just one but both of $f$ and $g$ are mono).

When do they imply each other? If we upgrade the LS definition to involve regular epis, then in a regular lextensive category, it implies the Elephant definition, if I'm not mistaken. For this, suppose $X$ is “indecomposable by reg epis”, and suppose $X \cong A + B$ — WLOG $X = A + B$. The coproduct inclusions are then jointly reg epi, so one of them is reg epi. But it's also mono (in a lextensive category, every coproduct inclusion is a pullback of $1 \to 1 + 1$, so is mono); so it's iso. There's a little more fiddly stuff to check involving messing around with $0$, but it's all the same sort of thing.

Edit from Mike Shulman's comments: if moreover we're in a pretopos, all epis are regular, so there the original LS definition will imply the Elephant definition. On the other hand, the Elephant definition doesn't imply the LS even in a topos: the terminal object of $\mathbf{Sh}([0,1])$ is a counterexample, essentially for the same reasons that $[0,1]$ was a counterexample in $\mathbf{Top}$.

However, the two definitions are equivalent for projective objects… and I guess that's how this situation has arisen, since a common use of indecomposable objects in topos theory is the theorem that the indecomposable projectives in a presheaf category are exactly the retracts of representables. (This is useful because it lets us recover the idempotent-completion of $\mathbf{C}$, which is very close to $\mathbf{C}$ itself, from $[\mathbf{C}^\mathrm{op},\mathbf{Set}]$.)

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Briefly: there's a simple difference in how they treat 0. That fixed, still neither implies the other in general. In a regular extensive category, a slight modification of the LS definition implies the Elephant one. I suspect they're not fully equivalent in anything short of a topos.

The simple difference: 0 is always indecomposable by Lambek and Scott's definition (since any map into 0 is epi), but never by the Elephant's (since the uniqueness condition won't hold; or by considering when the coproduct decomposition is empty). So, let's temporarily change one of the definitions to fix this. I'd suggest we add “…and the map $0 \to X$ is not epi.” to Lambek and Scott's definition. (As you noted, their binary condition generalises to a $k$-ary one; this is just the case $k=0$.)

In eg Top, however, we can see that the Elephant def still doesn't imply the LS def. $[0,1]$ satisfies the former (it's not decomposable by an iso), but not the latter (it is decomposable by an epi). Even more, it’s decomposable by a regular epi (more on this in a momentdistinction below).

Conversely, the LS definition doesn't imply the Elephant one either; it fails in eg $\mathbf{Set}^\mathrm{op}$, since in $\mathbf{Set}$, $0$ is co-decomposable by iso ($0 \cong A \times 0$) but not co-decomposable by monos (for any map $(f,g) \colon 0 \to A \times B$, not just one but both of $f$ and $g$ are mono).

When do they imply each other? If we upgrade the LS definition to involve regular epis, then in a regular lextensive category, it implies the Elephant definition, if I'm not mistaken.   For this, suppose $X$ is “indecomposable by reg epis”, and suppose $X \cong A + B$ — WLOG $X = A + B$. The coproduct inclusions are then jointly reg epi, so one of them is reg epi. But it's also mono (Havein a lextensive category, every coproduct inclusion is a pullback of $1 \to 1 + 1$, so is mono); so it's iso. There's a little more fiddly stuff to go now; can give detailscheck involving messing around with $0$, but it's all the same sort of this laterthing.)

If we again look at just regular epis, I'd guess they're completely equivalent in a pretopos (I'd imagine this shouldmight be nice to show by working in the internal logic). Without adding “regular”, I don'twouldn't imagine they're fully equivalent until we get to a topos, where all epis are regular — just as an instance of the general principle that not-necessarily-regular epis very rarely well-behaved.

Briefly: there's a simple difference in how they treat 0. That fixed, still neither implies the other in general. In a regular extensive category, a slight modification of the LS definition implies the Elephant one. I suspect they're not fully equivalent in anything short of a topos.

The simple difference: 0 is always indecomposable by Lambek and Scott's definition (since any map into 0 is epi), but never by the Elephant's (since the uniqueness condition won't hold; or by considering when the coproduct decomposition is empty). So, let's temporarily change one of the definitions to fix this. I'd suggest we add “…and the map $0 \to X$ is not epi.” to Lambek and Scott's definition. (As you noted, their binary condition generalises to a $k$-ary one; this is just the case $k=0$.)

In eg Top, however, we can see that the Elephant def still doesn't imply the LS def. $[0,1]$ satisfies the former (it's not decomposable by an iso), but not the latter (it is decomposable by an epi). Even more, it’s decomposable by a regular epi (more on this in a moment).

Conversely, the LS definition doesn't imply the Elephant one either; it fails in eg $\mathbf{Set}^\mathrm{op}$, since in $\mathbf{Set}$, $0$ is co-decomposable by iso ($0 \cong A \times 0$) but not co-decomposable by monos (for any map $(f,g) \colon 0 \to A \times B$, not just one but both of $f$ and $g$ are mono).

When do they imply each other? If we upgrade the LS definition to involve regular epis, then in a regular lextensive category, it implies the Elephant definition, if I'm not mistaken.  (Have to go now; can give details of this later.)

If we again look at just regular epis, I'd guess they're completely equivalent in a pretopos (I'd imagine this should be nice to show by working in the internal logic). Without adding “regular”, I don't imagine they're fully equivalent until we get to a topos, where all epis are regular.

Briefly: there's a simple difference in how they treat 0. That fixed, still neither implies the other in general. In a regular extensive category, a slight modification of the LS definition implies the Elephant one. I suspect they're not fully equivalent in anything short of a topos.

The simple difference: 0 is always indecomposable by Lambek and Scott's definition (since any map into 0 is epi), but never by the Elephant's (since the uniqueness condition won't hold; or by considering when the coproduct decomposition is empty). So, let's temporarily change one of the definitions to fix this. I'd suggest we add “…and the map $0 \to X$ is not epi.” to Lambek and Scott's definition. (As you noted, their binary condition generalises to a $k$-ary one; this is just the case $k=0$.)

In eg Top, however, we can see that the Elephant def still doesn't imply the LS def. $[0,1]$ satisfies the former (it's not decomposable by an iso), but not the latter (it is decomposable by an epi). Even more, it’s decomposable by a regular epi (more on this distinction below).

Conversely, the LS definition doesn't imply the Elephant one either; it fails in eg $\mathbf{Set}^\mathrm{op}$, since in $\mathbf{Set}$, $0$ is co-decomposable by iso ($0 \cong A \times 0$) but not co-decomposable by monos (for any map $(f,g) \colon 0 \to A \times B$, not just one but both of $f$ and $g$ are mono).

When do they imply each other? If we upgrade the LS definition to involve regular epis, then in a regular lextensive category, it implies the Elephant definition, if I'm not mistaken. For this, suppose $X$ is “indecomposable by reg epis”, and suppose $X \cong A + B$ — WLOG $X = A + B$. The coproduct inclusions are then jointly reg epi, so one of them is reg epi. But it's also mono (in a lextensive category, every coproduct inclusion is a pullback of $1 \to 1 + 1$, so is mono); so it's iso. There's a little more fiddly stuff to check involving messing around with $0$, but it's all the same sort of thing.

If we again look at just regular epis, I'd guess they're completely equivalent in a pretopos (I'd imagine this might be nice to show by working in the internal logic). Without adding “regular”, I wouldn't imagine they're fully equivalent until we get to a topos, where all epis are regular — just as an instance of the general principle that not-necessarily-regular epis very rarely well-behaved.

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Briefly: there's a simple difference in how they treat 0. That fixed, still neither implies the other in general. In a regular extensive category, a slight modification of the LS definition implies the Elephant one. I suspect they're not fully equivalent in anything short of a topos.

The simple difference: 0 is always indecomposable by Lambek and Scott's definition (since any map into 0 is epi), but never by the Elephant's (since the uniqueness condition won't hold; or by considering when the coproduct decomposition is empty). So, let's temporarily change one of the definitions to fix this. I'd suggest we add “…and the map $0 \to X$ is not epi.” to Lambek and Scott's definition. (As you noted, their binary condition generalises to a $k$-ary one; this is just the case $k=0$.)

In eg Top, however, we can see that the Elephant def still doesn't imply the LS def. $[0,1]$ satisfies the former (it's not decomposable by an iso), but not the latter (it is decomposable by an epi). Even more, it’s decomposable by a regular epi (more on this in a moment).

Conversely, the LS definition doesn't imply the Elephant one either; it fails in eg $\mathbf{Set}^\mathrm{op}$, since in $\mathbf{Set}$, $0$ is co-decomposable by iso ($0 \cong A \times 0$) but not co-decomposable by monos (for any map $(f,g) \colon 0 \to A \times B$, not just one but both of $f$ and $g$ are mono).

When do they imply each other? If we upgrade the LS definition to involve regular epis, then in a regular lextensive category, it implies the Elephant definition, if I'm not mistaken. (Have to go now; can give details of this later.)

If we again look at just regular epis, I'd guess they're completely equivalent in a pretopos (I'd imagine this should be nice to show by working in the internal logic). Without adding “regular”, I don't imagine they're fully equivalent until we get to a topos, where all epis are regular.