5
$\begingroup$

I have a question on how to calculate a topos of sheaves on an internal site.

Let $F$ be the category of finite sets and functions so that the topos ${\widehat{F}}$ of presheaves on $F$ classifies Boolean algebras. Let $B$ be the generic boolean algebra. It is an internal Boolean algebra in $\widehat{F}$. So we may consider the topos $E$ of sheaves on the internal site ${(B, c)}$ where $c$ is the coherent coverage on $B$.

The topos $E$ is bounded over $\widehat{F}$, which is bounded over sets. So $E$ is a Grothendieck topos. Can you provide an external site for $E$?

Thanks.

$\endgroup$

1 Answer 1

6
$\begingroup$

The topos of sheaves over a boolean algebra $B$ is the classifying topos of the theory of points of $B$, that is of boolean algebra morphism $B \to \{0,1\}$.

So, this $E$ is the classifying topos of the theory "a boolean algebras B together with a point of B", that is boolean algebras over $\{0,1\}$.

This is an essentially algebraic theory so it is classified by $Fun(C,Set)$ where $C$ is the category of its finitely presented models. Explicitely, $C$ is the category of finite boolean algebras together with a boolean algebra morphism $B \to Set$. So, through Stone duality, this is the opposite of the category of finite pointed sets.

So $E$ is $\widehat{F_\bullet}$ where $F_\bullet$ is the category of finite pointed sets.

The natural geometric morphism $E \to \widehat{F}$ is the one induced by the forgetfull functor $F_\bullet \to F$ (in the sense that its action on points extend this).

$\endgroup$
2
  • $\begingroup$ Very nice @Simon Henry. Too nice, in a sense. Could you recommend some standard way to calculate this sort of thing for an arbitrary internal site in a Grothendieck topos? Thanks again. $\endgroup$
    – Mendieta
    Commented Oct 31 at 17:31
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ There is a general process given a site (C,J) for a topos T and an internal site (D,K) in T to build an external site for the category of internal sheaves. the category is the Grothendieck construction for D seen as a functor C^op \to cat, and the topology is generated from K and J. I'm sure this is in the literature, very likely in the elephant, but I don't remember exactly where, but I'd start looking around where fibration of sites are discussed. $\endgroup$ Commented Oct 31 at 17:35

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .