Questions tagged [universal-property]
The universal-property tag has no usage guidance.
52
questions
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Adjoining extensions in bicategories
Given a bicategory $\mathcal K$, is there a universal construction of a bicategory $\mathcal K'$ and faithful locally fully faithful pseudofunctor $\mathcal K \hookrightarrow \mathcal K'$ such that ...
4
votes
0answers
119 views
Is the natural map from the free Lie algebra to the free associative algebra injective?
$\newcommand{\im}{\operatorname{im}}$Given a set $X$ and non-zero unital commutative ring $R$, let:
\begin{align}
A &= \mbox{free unital, associative algebra on $X$ with coefficients in $R$},\\
...
13
votes
2answers
363 views
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 ...
8
votes
1answer
315 views
Does the morphism of composition have some universal property?
Let $A$, $B$ and $C$ be three objects in the category Set. For simplicity, assume that their underlying sets contain a finite number of elements, a, b and c respectively. Using the usual Haskell ...
7
votes
0answers
75 views
Original reference for the Fam construction
For a category $\mathbf C$, the category of families of $\mathbf C$, denoted $\mathrm{Fam}(\mathbf C)$ is the free coproduct completion of $\mathbf C$. Explicitly, the objects of $\mathbf C$ are given ...
7
votes
1answer
254 views
Prof and the completion of Cat under right adjoints
In Bénabou's Les distributeurs, in which the bicategory of profunctors is introduced, Bénabou remarks (page 17, quoted below) that $\mathbf{Prof}$ may be viewed as the construction of a bicategory ...
1
vote
0answers
132 views
Proof of uniqueness in the universal property of Poincaré line bundles
My question concerns the proof of a part of Lemma IV.2.2 (pag. 168) of the book Geometry of Algebraic Curves. vol. I by Arbarello, Cornalba, Griffiths and Harris. In order to state my problem, let me ...
8
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0answers
96 views
What is the relationship between free bicompletion and the Isbell envelope?
Given a small category $\mathbb C$, we can form the free cocompletion $\mathbf y : \mathbb C \to \mathcal P(\mathbb C)$ and the free completion $\mathbf y^\circ : \mathbb C \to \mathcal P^\circ(\...
11
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2answers
476 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 ...
0
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0answers
53 views
if $\max_{z \in K} |\zeta(z+it)-f(z)|<\epsilon.$ then is this $\lim_{t\to \infty} \inf \frac {|\zeta'(z+it)|}{|f'(z)|} $ a finit limit?
Universality theorem of Riemann zeta function states that :Let $K$ be a compact subset with connected complement lying in the strip $\{1/2 < \operatorname{Re}(z)<1\}$, and let $f : K \rightarrow ...
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vote
0answers
136 views
Group law in universal central extension of Thompson's group T
I'm having some troubles with universal central extensions and associated cocycles; in particular, I want to understand the group law of the universal central extension of the Thompson's group $T$.
...
1
vote
1answer
61 views
Universality of the top eigenvalue of correlation matrices
Let $X$ be a $N\times P$ matrix with random independent and identically distributed entries $x_{ij}$. I also assume that $\langle x\rangle = 0$ and $\langle x^2\rangle = 1$.
Define the $N\times N$ ...
3
votes
0answers
73 views
When will a monad satisfy Moggi’s “equalizer” property?
I’m interested in finding when ($V$)-monads will satisfy the universal property that $\eta$ equalizes $\eta_T, T\eta$. I’m particularly interested in the case for monads on presheaf categories or that ...
5
votes
3answers
281 views
Universal property of the cocomplete category of models of a limit sketch
Let $\mathscr{S}$ be a limit sketch in a small category $\mathcal{E}$, i.e. just a collection of cones in $\mathcal{E}$. Then its category $\mathbf{Mod}(\mathscr{S})$ of models (i.e. functors $\...
10
votes
3answers
777 views
Hopf structure on the universal enveloping of a super Lie algebra
The universal enveloping algebra of a Lie algebra has a canonically defined Hopf algebra structure. Is the same true of the universal enveloping of a super Lie algebra? A presentation in terms of the ...
1
vote
0answers
45 views
Questions of the paper "PBW-pairs of varieties of linear algebras"
I am reading this paper "PBW-pairs of varieties of linear algebras", the link is here:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00927872.2012.720867.
At page 672, there is a definition of PBW-pair.
...
10
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1answer
280 views
Intuition behind orthogonality in category theory, and origin of name
In category theory, two morphisms $e:A\to B$ and $m:C\to D$ are said to be orthogonal if for any $f:A\to C$ and $g:B\to D$ with $m\circ f=g\circ e$, there exists a unique morphism $d:B\to C$ such that ...
1
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0answers
99 views
Module of Kahler differentials for manifolds [duplicate]
Let $A$ be a $k$-algebra and let $\mathcal{M}_A$ be the set of all $A$-modules. In $\mathcal{M}_A$, there exists a universal object $\Omega_{A/k}$, called the module of Kahler differentials, and a $k$...
3
votes
1answer
325 views
Definition of $\in_c$ for power objects
On the nLab page for power objects, the object $\in_c$ is defined as the domain of a monomorphism $\in_c\hookrightarrow c\times\Omega^c$, and it is mentioned at the end of the article that in any ...
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2answers
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What is the correct definition of localisation of a category?
Disclaimer: I wasn't sure if this was an appropriate question for MathOverflow, and so I've also asked this on StackExchange.
There appears to be a discrepancy in the literature regarding the ...
5
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0answers
264 views
closed substack of quotient stack
The question concerns quotient stacks. I am not very comfortable with stacks, so feel free to edit the question if I am saying nonsense. It is also the reason why I may be spelling in too much detail ...
7
votes
0answers
224 views
The category of elements corresponding to a coend as a higher colimit
Let $D: \mathcal{C} \to \mathbf{Set}$ be a diagram of sets, then we can obtain the colimit of $D$ as the set of connected components of the category of elements of $F$, which we denote by $\mathrm{el}(...
2
votes
0answers
254 views
Categorical quotients for quasi-affine varieties
Let $X$ be an affine variety and let $G$ be a reductive algebraic group acting on $X$. Let $U \subset X$ be a $G$-invariant open set.
Under what hypothesis there exists a categorical quotient of $U$ ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
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,
...
2
votes
0answers
67 views
Analogs of universal coverings for vector bundles
Not sure if I should use the soft-question tag here. Decided to wait with it :D
The universal covering of a (nice enough) space $X$ is a universal, in a suitable sense, representation of $X$ in the ...
7
votes
1answer
169 views
"Universal embedding structures" in a general setting?
There are a number of famous results to the effect that "countable structures" of a certain type have a universal, "homogeneous" structure of the same type into which they all embed with various nice ...
4
votes
1answer
801 views
Left adjoint of pullback
In Awodey's Category Theory, p233 of 2nd ed. (or p205 of 1st ed.), he states:
Indeed, the UMP of pullbacks essentially states that composition along
any function α is left adjoint to pullback ...
3
votes
0answers
94 views
How Universal is the Topological $\mathbb K$-algebra $C(\Omega, \mathbb K)$?
For $\Omega$ an arbitrary set the family $C(\Omega, \mathbb K)$ of all functions $\Omega \to \mathbb K$ becomes a complete topological $\mathbb K$-algebra under the topology of uniform convergence. ...
0
votes
1answer
239 views
What is the universal property of being the maximal common subobject of two objects in a semisimple category?
Imagine a semisimple abelian category $\mathcal{C}$, for example representations of a finite group.
Take two (nonsimple) objects $X, Y$ that are subobjects of a common object $Z$, and decompose them ...
8
votes
4answers
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Where does Segal's category come from?
Segal's category $\Gamma$ is the skeleton of the category $\text{FinSet}_{\ast}$ of pointed finite sets. It is used to write down $\Gamma$-spaces, which are functors $\Gamma \to \text{Top}$ satisfying ...
5
votes
1answer
377 views
Does $\text{Mat}_n(k)$ have some universal properties similar to its universal enveloping algebra?
Let $k$ be a field and $\text{Mat}_n(k)$ be $n \times n$ matrices over $k$. Let's consider $\text{Mat}_n(k)$ as an associative algebra and denote $gl_n(k)$ be the same $k$-linear space as $\text{Mat}...
0
votes
1answer
395 views
universal families and maps to quotient stacks
Suppose I have a certain (contravariant) moduli functor $M:Schemes \to Groupoids$ that is represented by a quotient stack $[X//G]$ where $X$ is a scheme and $G$ a linearly reductive group. Roughly ...
4
votes
0answers
371 views
Do generalizations of adjoint functors, such as adjunctions in 2-categories, and multivariable adjunctions, have formulations in terms of something like universal morphisms?
I recently learned about two-variable adjunctions and multi-variable adjunctions, and about adjunctions in 2-categories. The nCatLab page on two-variable adjunctions talks about how to go from the ...
6
votes
1answer
626 views
universal property of blow up for stacks?
I will use as a reference Hartshorne Prop. II.7.14, the universal property of blow-up. $\tilde{X}$ is the blow up of $X$ along a sheaf of ideals. $Z\to X$ is the morphism that is to be lifted to $\...
11
votes
1answer
1k views
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 ...
15
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5answers
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Universal Property of the Smash Product (of pointed spaces)
Hey
Is there a universal property for the smash product (of pointed spaces or pointed CW-complexes or something of that ilk)? I've seen the smash product of spectra defined with a universal property ...
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vote
0answers
940 views
When do coproducts commute with filtered projective limits?
Let $C$ be a category with filtered projective limits and coproducts (denoted by $+$). Then for all filtered projective systems $\{X_i\}$, $\{Y_i\}$ in $C$ there is a canonical morphism
$$\alpha ~:~ \...
13
votes
2answers
2k views
Elements in a localization - category theoretic approach
This question is about the elements in a localization $S^{-1} A$ of a commutative ring $A$. Is it possible to derive $\frac{a}{1} = 0 \in S^{-1} A \Rightarrow \exists s \in S : sa = 0$ only using the ...
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votes
14answers
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Characterizing specific "concrete" mathematical objects by abstract general properties
In this note by Tom Leinster the Banach space $\mathrm{L}^1[0,1]$ is recovered by "abstract nonsense" as the initial object of a certain category of (decorated) Banach spaces. So a function space, ...
4
votes
3answers
557 views
Are schemes pushouts of neighbourhoods and formal neighbourhoods?
Hello,
I have two questions, the first less important.
Let $X$ be a scheme, $x \in X$ a schematic point.
What is an elegant way of defining/characterizing the map $\operatorname{Spec}(O_{X,x}) \...
4
votes
3answers
2k views
universal property of stein factorization
This question has not the ambition of being very precise, instead it is more philosophical.
The question is the following: does the Stein factorization of a morphism have some kind of universal ...
6
votes
0answers
318 views
Stable distributions for Lindeberg exchange strategy?
Terence Tao has mentioned the importance of the Lindeberg exchange strategy, citing as an application how it was used in the proofs of some recent results relating to universality laws for random ...
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0answers
349 views
Universal non-degenerate map over the space of complete linear maps
Let $E$ and $F$ be vector spaces and assume for simplicity that $\dim E = \dim F = n$.
Recall that the moduli space of complete linear maps from $E$ to $F$ is the space $M(E,F)$ parameterizing all ...
10
votes
4answers
2k views
Completion of the rationals to the reals as an inverse limit construction?
There is of course the standard construction of the reals by considering the set of sequences that are Cauchy with respect to the standard metric and taking the quotient by sequences that converge to ...
21
votes
3answers
2k views
Is there a "categorical" description of Grothendieck's algebra of differential operators?
First, pick a commutative ring $k$ as the "ground field". Everything I say will be $k$-linear, e.g. "algebra" means "unital associative algebra over $k$". Then recall the following construction due ...
4
votes
3answers
365 views
Characterizing nilpotents in a ring by a universal property
This is again a question asked to me by this user. He apparently quit using MO due to a busy time in personal and professional life and resulting difficulties in spending time here with patience. I am ...
8
votes
1answer
410 views
Can minimal surfaces be characterized by some universal property?
As objects which are minimal (in some respect), this seems entirely plausible, but I'm not sure what category we should be working in, and what restrictions we would need, to actually have a situation ...
0
votes
3answers
1k views
equality of elements in localization via universal property [unsolved!]
I've been studying universal objects of universal algebra in a quite general setting and try to exhibit the structure of their elements just using the universal property. a very nice example for this ...
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votes
4answers
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"Albanese" schemes: When does an "initial abelian scheme" exist under a given scheme?
For a variety V, its Albenese variety Alb(V) is a variety with a map V → Alb(V) which factors uniquely into any map from V to an abelian variety. Can we say something similar for an arbitrary ...
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4answers
3k views
What is the universal property of associated graded?
Given a filtered vector space (or module over a ring) $0=V_{0}\subseteq V_{1}\subseteq\cdots\subseteq V$, you can construct the associated graded vector space $\mathrm{gr}\left(V\right)=\oplus_{i}V_{i+...
