Categorical extension of Cayley's Theorem

In summary, the conversation discusses the extension of Cayley's theorem to categories and the construction of a category with sets as objects and functions as morphisms. The concept of a "dual" category is mentioned, but it is clarified that the term has a different meaning in the literature. The main focus is on finding a functor from the given category to the category of sets, and the question of whether this functor is full and/or faithful is raised. Eventually, the OP figures out all the details of the problem with the help of a professor.
  • #1
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Hey PF gurus!

I read that Cayley's theorem can be extended to categories, i.e. that any category with a set of morphisms can be represented as a category with sets as objects and functions as morphisms. I was looking at the construction and for some reason I don't fully understand how they define the morphisms in the 'dual' category. If someone could please shed some light on this, I would appreciate it. But please don't post the whole proof of the representation result - I would like to try it out myself first.

Many thanks in advance!
 
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  • #2
What do you mean by 'dual category' here?

Have you actually defined the idea of a category acting on a set? Or are you just constructing a subcategory of Set that is isomorphic to your category C? (Or equivalently, a faithful functor C-->Set that separates (is injective on) objects)
 
  • #3
Hi Hurkyl. Thanks for the reply. I realize that the concept of dual category already exists in the literature, and it has a different meaning to the one I am asking here. Clearly I am looking for a functor from C to Set (as stated in the first post I restrict myself to categories with sets of morphisms). I am unsure if I should (could) check out the full and/or faithful properties. I went to a professor in my department and he showed me the basics of the construction. I filled in the gaps and showed that one can find such a functor. I will investigate further to see if this functor is faithful.
 
  • #4
Hi all, I have figured out all the details of this problem. Thanks again.
 

1. What is the Categorical Extension of Cayley's Theorem?

The Categorical Extension of Cayley's Theorem is a generalization of the original theorem, which states that every group is isomorphic to a group of permutations. This extension applies to categories, which are mathematical structures that consist of objects and arrows between them.

2. How does the Categorical Extension of Cayley's Theorem relate to group theory?

The Categorical Extension of Cayley's Theorem is a natural extension of the original theorem, which applies specifically to groups. It allows for a broader understanding of how groups are related to other mathematical structures, such as categories.

3. What is the significance of the Categorical Extension of Cayley's Theorem?

The Categorical Extension of Cayley's Theorem has several implications in mathematics. It helps to connect group theory with other areas of mathematics, such as category theory. It also provides a more abstract and general understanding of the structure of groups.

4. How is the Categorical Extension of Cayley's Theorem proven?

The Categorical Extension of Cayley's Theorem can be proven using the Yoneda embedding, which maps a category into its own category of presheaves. This allows us to see that every object in a category can be represented as a group of permutations.

5. What are some applications of the Categorical Extension of Cayley's Theorem?

The Categorical Extension of Cayley's Theorem has applications in various areas of mathematics, such as algebraic topology and algebraic geometry. It also has applications in computer science, particularly in the study of functional programming languages. In addition, it has implications in the study of symmetry and symmetry breaking in physics.

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