Questions tagged [limits-and-colimits]
For questions on limits and colimts in the sense of category theory, and related notions.
331
questions
61
votes
3
answers
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Why do filtered colimits commute with finite limits?
It's not hard to show that this is true in the category Set, and proofs have been written down in many places. But all the ones I know are a bit fiddly.
Question 1: is there a soft proof of this fact?...
37
votes
7
answers
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Limits in category theory and analysis
Is it possible to regard limits in analysis (say, of real sequences or more generally nets in topological spaces) as limits in category theory? Is there some formal connection?
Edit ('13): Perhaps it ...
33
votes
5
answers
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Shapes for category theory
Most texts on category theory define a (small) diagram in a category $\mathcal{A}$ as a functor $D : \mathcal{I} \to \mathcal{A}$ on a (small) category $\mathcal{I}$, called the shape of the diagram. ...
26
votes
2
answers
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Is every commutative ring a limit of noetherian rings?
Edit of Feb. 14, 2019. After Laurent Moret-Bailly's accepted answer, only Questions 4 and 5 remain open. I don't care that much about Question 4, but I'm very curious about Question 5, which is
Do ...
25
votes
1
answer
704
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Finite limits in the category of smooth manifolds?
The category of smooth manifolds does not have all finite limits. However, it does have some limits: it has finite products, it has splittings of idempotents, and it has certain other limits if we ...
21
votes
4
answers
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Conceptual reason that monadic functors create limits?
Let $U: Alg_T \to C$ be the forgetful functor from the category of algebras of $T: C \to C$ ($T$ could be a monad; I'm happy to think about the simpler case where $T$ is just an endofunctor or pointed ...
20
votes
2
answers
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Is every compact topological ring a profinite ring?
There are a lot of compact (Hausdorff) groups, whereas every compact field is finite. What about rings? Is there a classification theorem for compact rings? If you take a cofiltered limit of finite ...
19
votes
4
answers
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Categorical description of the restricted product (Adeles)
Background on the Adèles
The Adèles $\mathbb{A}_K$ of a number field or function field $K$ are defined as a restricted product of the complete local fields $K_\nu$, where $\nu$ ranges over all places ...
18
votes
1
answer
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Coend computation
Let
$F:A^{\mbox{op}} \to \mbox{Set}$
and define
$G_a:A\times A^{\mbox{op}} \to \mbox{Set}$
$G_a(b,c) = \mbox{hom}(a,b) \times F(c)$.
I think the coend of $G_a$,
$\int^AG_a$,
ought to be $F(a)$--...
17
votes
2
answers
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Exactness of filtered colimits
Are filtered colimits exact in all abelian categories?
In Set, filtered colimits commute with finite limits. The proof carries over to categories sufficiently like Set (i.e. where you can chase ...
16
votes
10
answers
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References for homotopy colimit
(1) What are some good references for homotopy colimits?
(2) Where can I find a reference for the following concrete construction of a homotopy colimit? Start with a partial ordering, which I will ...
16
votes
4
answers
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Is there a tricategory of bicategories and biprofunctors?
Background
There is a bicategory where the objects are categories, the 1-morphisms are profunctors, and the 2-morphisms are morphisms of profunctors. The non-obvious part of this assertion is that ...
16
votes
3
answers
911
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Cofinality for coends?
Recall that a functor $I \xrightarrow u J$ is cofinal if it has the property that for any functor $J \xrightarrow F C$, we have that $\varinjlim F \cong \varinjlim Fu$ via the canonical map, either ...
15
votes
2
answers
626
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Original reference for categories of presheaves as free cocompletions of small categories
It is well known that, for a small category $\mathbf A$, the category $\widehat{\mathbf A} = [\mathbf A^\circ, \mathbf{Set}]$ of presheaves on $\mathbf A$ together with the Yoneda embedding $\mathbf A ...
15
votes
2
answers
657
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Monoidal functors $\mathcal C \to [\mathcal D,\mathcal V]$ are monoidal functors $\mathcal C \otimes \mathcal D \to \mathcal V$?
It is well known (e.g., Reference for "lax monoidal functors" = "monoids under Day convolution" ) that if $\mathcal C$ is a monoidal $\mathcal V$-enriched category, then a monoid ...
14
votes
2
answers
745
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Is there a large colimit-sketch for topological spaces?
Question. Is there a large colimit-sketch $\mathcal{S}$ such that $\mathrm{Mod}(\mathcal{S}) \simeq \mathbf{Top}$?
In other words, is there a category $\mathcal{E}$ with a class of cocones $\mathcal{S}...
14
votes
2
answers
1k
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Colimits of manifolds
This question tells us that in general colimits do not exist in the category of manifolds.
However, this negative answer is not very satisfying. A manifold can be considered as a colimit of its altas....
14
votes
1
answer
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What is a (partial) left adjoint of the Yoneda embedding called?
It is a fairly special property for the Yoneda embedding $A \hookrightarrow \mathcal{P}A$ of a category to have a left adjoint defined everywhere (this happens just when $A$ is total). However, a ...
14
votes
1
answer
583
views
How "nondegenerate" are amalgamated free products of C*-algebras?
In the following, I assume all algebras are unital. Let $A$ and $B$ be C*-algebras that each contain (isomorphic copies of) a common C*-subalgebra $C$. Let $A *_C B$ denote the amalgamated free ...
14
votes
0
answers
289
views
Which limits distribute over which colimits in $Set$? How about in $Spaces$?
I've never really thought much about distributivity of limits and colimits -- I tend to think more about commutativity of limits and colimits. This question makes me want to change that.
The question ...
14
votes
0
answers
842
views
Grothendieck construction and coends
In category theory, both the Grothendieck construction and coends are represented by a sort of "integral sign", respectively:
$$
\int F
$$
for a functor $F:C\to\mathbf{Cat}$,
and:
$$
\int^x G(x,x)
$$
...
12
votes
5
answers
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Motivation of filtered colimits
I am trying to move in categorical algebra beyond the basics. A Lawvere theory L is a small category with finite products. (I know that there also is a functor $(skeleton(FinSet))^{op}\to L$, which ...
12
votes
1
answer
2k
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Is every ring the direct limit of Noetherian rings?
Are there any examples of commutative rings that do not occur as direct limits of Noetherian rings?
12
votes
2
answers
678
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Defining abstract varieties and their morphisms over a finitely generated subfield of the base field
Let $k$ be an algebraically closed field.
By a finitely generated subfield of $k$ I mean a subfield $k_0\subset k$ that is finitely generated over the prime subfield of $k$ (that is, over $\mathbb Q$ ...
12
votes
1
answer
2k
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Adjoint Functors as Initial Objects of Some Category
Just as universal arrows can be characterized as initial objects of some appropriate comma category, and (co)limits can be characterized as (initial) terminal objects of the appropriate (co)cone ...
12
votes
2
answers
508
views
Does forgetting colimits preserve colimits?
For each regular cardinal $\kappa$ let $\operatorname{Cat}_{\kappa}$ be the $(2,1)$-category of small categories with $\kappa$-small colimits, and functors that preserve those colimits. For each pair ...
12
votes
1
answer
435
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About pointwise Kan extension
Suppose that you want to look at the left Kan extension of a functor $F : \mathcal{C} \to \mathcal{A}$ along a functor $K : \mathcal{C} \to \mathcal{B}$. It is widely known that if the colimit of the ...
12
votes
1
answer
178
views
Large V-categories admitting the construction of V-presheaves
By a result of Foltz, and Freyd and Street, a category $C$ is essentially small (i.e. equivalent to a small category) if and only if both $C$ and $[C^{\text{op}}, \mathrm{Set}]$ are locally small. I ...
11
votes
5
answers
708
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Colimits in the category of (not necessarily locally convex) topological vector spaces
Do colimits in the category of (not necessarily locally convex) topological vector spaces (over R, C, respectively) exist in general?
If no, is there a well-known condition of when they exist?
If ...
11
votes
2
answers
494
views
How to interpret topologically that the equalizer in Groupoids of ${\rm id}, {\rm id}: BG \rightrightarrows BG$ is $G/G$ (adjoint action)?
Let $G$ be a (discrete) group, and $1/G$ the corresponding groupoid with one object. Consider the diagram in (the 2-category) Groupoids with one vertex, labeled $1/G$, the one arrow from that vertex ...
11
votes
2
answers
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Is Sheafification Functor Exact?
I know that sheafification functor from the category of abelian presheaves on $C$ to the category of abelian sheaves on $C$. Here, $C$ is a category with Grothendieck pretopology.
My question is:
...
11
votes
1
answer
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Do direct limits (filtered colimits) commute with pullbacks, in C*-algebras?
I asked this question already on math.stackexchange, but maybe it is also useful to ask this here, since it was not answered there.
Suppose we have three directed sequences of $C^*$-algebras, say $(...
11
votes
2
answers
938
views
How to understand adjoint functors?
I asked this same question on MathUnderflow two weeks ago but didn't receive any answer. Now that I am thinking more, it feels like the most suitable place for this question is here.
I have a good ...
11
votes
1
answer
471
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Weighted (co)limits as adjunctions
It's well known that a category $\mathcal{C}$ having (conical) limits/colimits of shape $\mathcal{D}$ is equivalent to the diagonal functor $\Delta^\mathcal{D}_\mathcal{C}:\mathcal{C}\to\mathcal{C}^\...
11
votes
1
answer
490
views
Is there a practical criterion to determine whether the limit of a diagram of real chain complexes is also a homotopy limit?
Consider a diagram D: I→ChR of real connective chain complexes.
In the example I have in mind all chain complexes are concentrated in some fixed degree n.
There is a canonical map lim D → holim D ...
11
votes
1
answer
522
views
Measure the failure of colimit to commute with taking free loops (or Hochschild homology)?
For a space1 $X$, let $\mathcal{L}X = \mathrm{Maps}(S^1, X)$ be the free loop space.
Inclusion of constant loops gives a natural map $X \to \mathcal{L}X$. This is not a homotopy equivalence unless $X$...
11
votes
0
answers
334
views
A right adjoint preserves Phi-colimits if and only if the left adjoint does what?
Let $\Phi$ be a class of categories (e.g. filtered categories), and consider an adjunction $L : \mathbf C \rightleftarrows \mathbf D : R$. A $\Phi$-colimit is a colimit whose diagram is in $\Phi$. We ...
10
votes
3
answers
1k
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Can filtered colimits be computed in the homotopy category?
For $\mathcal{S}$ the $(\infty,1)$-category of spaces its homotopy category $h\mathcal{S}$ does not have pushouts or pullbacks. Even if it does, they won't always agree with the (homotopy) pushouts or ...
10
votes
1
answer
1k
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What's the intuition for weighted limits?
I am reading Fosco's Coend Calculus and Emily Riehl's Categorical Homotopy Theory, Riehl's book motivates it in the following way,
Abstraction 1: Classical limits in terms of cones: Cones from an ...
10
votes
2
answers
846
views
Fubini theorem for hocolim
I wanted to ask the following question,
Suppose $\mathbf{M}$ a cofibrantly generated model category and $I,~J$ two small categories. Suppose that $F:J\rightarrow \mathbf{M}^{\mathrm{I}}$ is a functor. ...
10
votes
2
answers
649
views
Do colimits of manifolds coincide with underlying colimits as topological spaces?
Categories of manifolds (possibly with extra structure) tend not to have all colimits.
Other questions have addressed when colimits of manifolds exist.
I'd like to know what we can say in general ...
10
votes
1
answer
560
views
Explicit description of the oplax limit of a functor to Cat?
The nCatLab Grothendieck construction page gives an explicit description of the oplax colimit of any functor to Cat. Can someone give me a similarly explicit description (the objects and morphisms) ...
10
votes
1
answer
731
views
Decomposing a large colimit as a pushout of smaller colimits
I would like to find a reference in the literature for the following result. I have it on high authority that it isn't in 'Categories for the Working Mathematician' and I can't find it in Borceux's ...
10
votes
1
answer
383
views
Sufficient sets of colimits in small categories
Let $C$ be a small category, and consider the class of diagrams $G:D\to C$, with $D$ a small category, that have colimits in $C$. This is a proper class even when $C$ is very small, e.g. whenever $D$ ...
10
votes
1
answer
329
views
Weak descent and effective equivalence relations
I want to prove that weak descent of a $1$-category implies the classical Giraud axioms.
More precisely, let $\mathsf{C}$ be a cocomplete, finitely complete $1$-category. We say that $\mathsf{C}$ ...
10
votes
1
answer
352
views
What does it mean for a category to be generated under (some) colimits?
This is going to be a long post, so let me state my question first and then explain what I am interested in by way of examples.
Question.
Is there any literature studying notions of generation under ...
10
votes
1
answer
821
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Functoriality of (co)limits in $\infty$-categories
I have some questions about the functoriality of (co)limits in $\infty$-categories, say in the framework of Lurie's Higher Topos Theory.
From the general stuff about Kan-extensions (HTT 4.3.2.6) ...
10
votes
1
answer
509
views
Is the evaluation of polynomial functors appropriately continuous?
I'd like a nice proof of the following fact.
Let $C$ and $D$ be categories, and let $\mathbf{Cat}/(C\times D)$ be the usual (1-categorical) slice category whose objects are triples $(X,F\colon X\to C,...
10
votes
0
answers
138
views
Do pseudo 2-limits commute?
It is a well-known fact that if $F:\mathcal{C}_1\times\mathcal{C}_2\rightarrow \mathcal{D}$ is a functor (between 1-categories), then $F$ has a limit if and only if $F:\mathcal{C}_1\rightarrow Fun(\...
9
votes
2
answers
2k
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Is there a useful limit or co-limit of a diagram that has only a single object?
I'm starting to study category theory kind of informally and everytime I read about the definitions of limits and co-limits, the first three examples are always the same:
terminal/initial objects,
...