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href="/nlab/show/category">category</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/functor">functor</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2 id="toposes">Toposes</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%280%2C1%29-topos">(0,1)-topos</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Heyting+algebra">Heyting algebra</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/locale">locale</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/pretopos">pretopos</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/topos">topos</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Grothendieck+topos">Grothendieck topos</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/category+of+presheaves">category of presheaves</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/presheaf">presheaf</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/representable+functor">representable presheaf</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/category+of+sheaves">category of sheaves</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/site">site</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/sieve">sieve</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/coverage">coverage</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Grothendieck+pretopology">pretopology</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Grothendieck+topology">topology</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/sheaf">sheaf</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/sheafification">sheafification</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/quasitopos">quasitopos</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/base+topos">base topos</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/indexed+topos">indexed topos</a></p> </li> </ul> <h2 id="toc_internal_logic">Internal Logic</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/categorical+semantics">categorical semantics</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/internal+logic">internal logic</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/subobject+classifier">subobject classifier</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/natural+numbers+object">natural numbers object</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2 id="topos_morphisms">Topos morphisms</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/logical+morphism">logical morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/geometric+morphism">geometric morphism</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/direct+image">direct image</a>/<a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/inverse+image">inverse image</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/global+section">global sections</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/geometric+embedding">geometric embedding</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/surjective+geometric+morphism">surjective geometric morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/essential+geometric+morphism">essential geometric morphism</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/locally+connected+geometric+morphism">locally connected geometric morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/connected+geometric+morphism">connected geometric morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/totally+connected+geometric+morphism">totally connected geometric morphism</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%C3%A9tale+geometric+morphism">étale geometric morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/open+geometric+morphism">open geometric morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/proper+geometric+morphism">proper geometric morphism</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/compact+topos">compact topos</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/separated+geometric+morphism">separated geometric morphism</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Hausdorff+topos">Hausdorff topos</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/local+geometric+morphism">local geometric morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/bounded+geometric+morphism">bounded geometric morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/base+change">base change</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/localic+geometric+morphism">localic geometric morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/hyperconnected+geometric+morphism">hyperconnected geometric morphism</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/atomic+geometric+morphism">atomic geometric morphism</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2 id="extra_stuff_structure_properties">Extra stuff, structure, properties</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/topological+locale">topological locale</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/localic+topos">localic topos</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/petit+topos">petit topos/gros topos</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/locally+connected+topos">locally connected topos</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/connected+topos">connected topos</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/totally+connected+topos">totally connected topos</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/strongly+connected+topos">strongly connected topos</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/local+topos">local topos</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/cohesive+topos">cohesive topos</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/classifying+topos">classifying topos</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/smooth+topos">smooth topos</a></p> </li> </ul> <h2 id="cohomology_and_homotopy">Cohomology and homotopy</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/cohomology">cohomology</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/homotopy+groups+in+an+%28infinity%2C1%29-topos">homotopy</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/abelian+sheaf+cohomology">abelian sheaf cohomology</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/model+structure+on+simplicial+presheaves">model structure on simplicial presheaves</a></p> </li> </ul> <h2 id="in_higher_category_theory">In higher category theory</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/higher+topos+theory">higher topos theory</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%280%2C1%29-topos">(0,1)-topos</a></p> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%280%2C1%29-site">(0,1)-site</a></li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-topos">2-topos</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-site">2-site</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/2-sheaf">2-sheaf</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/stack">stack</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-topos">(∞,1)-topos</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-site">(∞,1)-site</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-sheaf">(∞,1)-sheaf</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%E2%88%9E-stack">∞-stack</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/derived+stack">derived stack</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2 id="theorems">Theorems</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Diaconescu%27s+theorem">Diaconescu's theorem</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Barr%27s+theorem">Barr's theorem</a></p> </li> </ul> <div> <p> <a href="/nlab/edit/topos+theory+-+contents">Edit this sidebar</a> </p> </div></div></div> <h4 id="category_theory">Category Theory</h4> <div class="hide"><div> <p><strong><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/category+theory">category theory</a></strong></p> <h2 id="sidebar_concepts">Concepts</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/category">category</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/functor">functor</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/natural+transformation">natural transformation</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Cat">Cat</a></p> </li> </ul> <h2 id="sidebar_universal_constructions">Universal constructions</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/universal+construction">universal construction</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/representable+functor">representable functor</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/adjoint+functor">adjoint functor</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/limit">limit</a>/<a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/colimit">colimit</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/weighted+limit">weighted limit</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/end">end</a>/<a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/coend">coend</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Kan+extension">Kan extension</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2 id="sidebar_theorems">Theorems</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Yoneda+lemma">Yoneda lemma</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Isbell+duality">Isbell duality</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Grothendieck+construction">Grothendieck construction</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/adjoint+functor+theorem">adjoint functor theorem</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/monadicity+theorem">monadicity theorem</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/adjoint+lifting+theorem">adjoint lifting theorem</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Tannaka+duality">Tannaka duality</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Gabriel-Ulmer+duality">Gabriel-Ulmer duality</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/small+object+argument">small object argument</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Freyd-Mitchell+embedding+theorem">Freyd-Mitchell embedding theorem</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/relation+between+type+theory+and+category+theory">relation between type theory and category theory</a></p> </li> </ul> <h2 id="sidebar_extensions">Extensions</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/sheaf+and+topos+theory">sheaf and topos theory</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/enriched+category+theory">enriched category theory</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/higher+category+theory">higher category theory</a></p> </li> </ul> <h2 id="sidebar_applications">Applications</h2> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/applications+of+%28higher%29+category+theory">applications of (higher) category theory</a></li> </ul> <div> <p> <a href="/nlab/edit/category+theory+-+contents">Edit this sidebar</a> </p> </div></div></div> </div> </div> <h1 id="global_elements">Global elements</h1> <div class='maruku_toc'> <ul> <li><a href='#idea'>Idea</a></li> <li><a href='#definition'>Definition</a></li> <li><a href='#variations'>Variations</a></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="idea">Idea</h2> <p>One striking difference between <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/set+theory">set theory</a> and <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/category+theory">category theory</a> is that, while <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/objects">objects</a> of a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/category">category</a> need not have any other structure, a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/set">set</a> comes equipped with the notion of <em>element</em>, identifying other sets which belong to it. Sometimes, a category turns out to possess a similar structure, designating certain <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/morphisms">morphisms</a> as <strong>global elements</strong> (or <strong>global points</strong> in geometric contexts) of an object.</p> <h2 id="definition">Definition</h2> <p>If a category <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">C</annotation></semantics></math> has a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/terminal+object">terminal object</a> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1</annotation></semantics></math>, a <strong>global element</strong> of another object <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x</annotation></semantics></math> is a morphism <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>1</mn><mo>→</mo><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1 \to x</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> <p>So a global element is a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/generalized+element">generalized element</a> at “stage of definition” <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> <p>For example:</p> <ul> <li> <p>In <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Set">Set</a>, global elements are just elements: a function from a one-element set into <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x</annotation></semantics></math> picks out a single element of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> </li> <li> <p>In <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Cat">Cat</a>, global elements are objects: the terminal category <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1</annotation></semantics></math> is the <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/discrete+category">discrete category</a> with one object, and a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/functor">functor</a> from <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1</annotation></semantics></math> into a category <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">C</annotation></semantics></math> singles out an object of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">C</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> </li> <li> <p>In a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/topos">topos</a>, a global element of the <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/subobject+classifier">subobject classifier</a> is called a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/truth+value">truth value</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>Working in a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/over+category">slice category</a> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi><mo stretchy="false">/</mo><mi>b</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">C/b</annotation></semantics></math>, a global element of the object <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>π</mi><mo>:</mo><mi>e</mi><mo>→</mo><mi>b</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\pi: e \to b</annotation></semantics></math> is a map into it from the terminal object <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mn>1</mn> <mi>b</mi></msub><mo>:</mo><mi>b</mi><mo>→</mo><mi>b</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1_b: b \to b</annotation></semantics></math>; i.e., a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/right+inverse">right inverse</a> for <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>π</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\pi</annotation></semantics></math>. In the context of <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/bundles">bundles</a>, a global element of a bundle is called a <em><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/global+section">global section</a></em>.</p> </li> </ul> <p>If <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">C</annotation></semantics></math> does not have a terminal object, we can still define a global element of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi><mo>∈</mo><mi>C</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x\in C</annotation></semantics></math> to be a global element of the <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/represented+functor">represented</a> <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/presheaf">presheaf</a> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mo lspace="verythinmathspace" rspace="0em">−</mo><mo>,</mo><mi>x</mi><mo stretchy="false">)</mo><mo>∈</mo><mo stretchy="false">[</mo><msup><mi>C</mi> <mi>op</mi></msup><mo>,</mo><mi>Set</mi><mo stretchy="false">]</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">C(-,x) \in [C^{op},Set]</annotation></semantics></math>. Since the <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Yoneda+embedding">Yoneda embedding</a> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi><mo>↦</mo><mi>C</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mo lspace="verythinmathspace" rspace="0em">−</mo><mo>,</mo><mi>x</mi><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x \mapsto C(-,x)</annotation></semantics></math> is fully faithful and preserves any <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/limits">limits</a> that exist in <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">C</annotation></semantics></math>, including terminal objects, if <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">C</annotation></semantics></math> does have a terminal object then this definition coincides with the more naive one.</p> <p>If we unravel the general definition more explicitly, it says that a global element of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x</annotation></semantics></math> consists of, for every object <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>i</mi><mo>∈</mo><mi>C</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">i\in C</annotation></semantics></math>, a morphism <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>e</mi> <mi>x</mi></msub><mo>:</mo><mi>i</mi><mo>→</mo><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">e_x : i\to x</annotation></semantics></math> (i.e. a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/generalized+element">generalized element</a> of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x</annotation></semantics></math> at stage <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>i</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">i</annotation></semantics></math>), such that for any morphism <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>f</mi><mo>:</mo><mi>i</mi><mo>→</mo><mi>j</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">f:i\to j</annotation></semantics></math> we have <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>e</mi> <mi>j</mi></msub><mo>∘</mo><mi>f</mi><mo>=</mo><msub><mi>e</mi> <mi>i</mi></msub></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">e_j \circ f = e_i</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> <h2 id="variations">Variations</h2> <p>Many (but not all) of the examples above are <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/cartesian+closed+categories">cartesian closed categories</a>. In a more general <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/closed+category">closed category</a>, a morphism from the unit object to <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x</annotation></semantics></math> can be called an <em>element</em> of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x</annotation></semantics></math>. For example, an element of an <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/abelian+group">abelian group</a> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x</annotation></semantics></math> is a morphism from the group <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mstyle mathvariant="bold"><mi>Z</mi></mstyle></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbf{Z}</annotation></semantics></math> of integers to <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x</annotation></semantics></math>, and of course this is equivalent to the usual notion of element of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x</annotation></semantics></math>. Here the adjective ‘global’ would not conform to the usage above since <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mstyle mathvariant="bold"><mi>Z</mi></mstyle></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbf{Z}</annotation></semantics></math> is not terminal, although we warn that some authors may call a map <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mstyle mathvariant="bold"><mi>Z</mi></mstyle><mo>→</mo><mi>A</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathbf{Z} \to A</annotation></semantics></math> a “global element” of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>A</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">A</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> <p>Thus generally, when <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">C</annotation></semantics></math> is cartesian closed or even <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/semicartesian+monoidal+category">semicartesian monoidal</a> closed, the monoidal unit <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>I</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">I</annotation></semantics></math> is terminal and such elements <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>I</mi><mo>→</mo><mi>A</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">I \to A</annotation></semantics></math> are global elements in the sense of this article. But again, even in the general monoidal case, some authors call maps of the form <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>I</mi><mo>→</mo><mi>A</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">I \to A</annotation></semantics></math> “global elements”, even though this conflicts with our usage.</p> <p>As an important special case, there is<sup id="fnref:1"><a href="#fn:1" rel="footnote">1</a></sup> for <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/closed+monoidal+categories">closed monoidal categories</a> a notion of “name of a morphism”, as follows. Let <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>𝒞</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathcal{C}</annotation></semantics></math> be closed monoidal, with external (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>Set</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">Set</annotation></semantics></math>-valued) homs denoted by <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>𝒞</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mi>A</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>B</mi><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathcal{C}(A, B)</annotation></semantics></math>, the monoidal product by <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mo>⊗</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\otimes</annotation></semantics></math> and the monoidal unit by <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>I</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">I</annotation></semantics></math>, and internal homs by <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mo stretchy="false">[</mo><mi>A</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>B</mi><mo stretchy="false">]</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">[A, B]</annotation></semantics></math>. Then for each pair <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mi>A</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>B</mi><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">(A, B)</annotation></semantics></math>, the evident composite map</p> <div class="maruku-equation"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>𝒞</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mi>A</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>B</mi><mo stretchy="false">)</mo><mover><mo>→</mo><mrow><mi>𝒞</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><msub><mi>λ</mi> <mi>A</mi></msub><mo>,</mo><msub><mn>1</mn> <mi>B</mi></msub><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow></mover><mi>𝒞</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mi>I</mi><mo>⊗</mo><mi>A</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>B</mi><mo stretchy="false">)</mo><mo>≅</mo><mi>𝒞</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mi>I</mi><mo>,</mo><mo stretchy="false">[</mo><mi>A</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>B</mi><mo stretchy="false">]</mo><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathcal{C}(A, B) \stackrel{\mathcal{C}(\lambda_A, 1_B)}{\to} \mathcal{C}(I \otimes A, B) \cong \mathcal{C}(I, [A, B])</annotation></semantics></math></div> <p>(<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>λ</mi> <mi>A</mi></msub><mo>:</mo><mi>I</mi><mo>⊗</mo><mi>A</mi><mo>→</mo><mi>A</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\lambda_A: I \otimes A \to A</annotation></semantics></math> the left unit isomorphism) defines a map which we denote as <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>name</mi> <mrow><mi>A</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>B</mi></mrow></msub><mo>:</mo><mi>𝒞</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mi>A</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>B</mi><mo stretchy="false">)</mo><mo>→</mo><mi>𝒞</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mi>I</mi><mo>,</mo><mo stretchy="false">[</mo><mi>A</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>B</mi><mo stretchy="false">]</mo><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">name_{A, B}: \mathcal{C}(A,B)\rightarrow\mathcal{C}(I, [A,B])</annotation></semantics></math>. Notice this is the component at <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mi>A</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>B</mi><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">(A, B)</annotation></semantics></math> of a natural bijection <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>name</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">name</annotation></semantics></math>; it takes a map <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>f</mi><mo>:</mo><mi>A</mi><mo>→</mo><mi>B</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">f: A \to B</annotation></semantics></math> in <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>𝒞</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\mathcal{C}</annotation></semantics></math> to its name, typically denoted as <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mtext>"</mtext><mi>f</mi><mtext>"</mtext><mo>:</mo><mi>I</mi><mo>→</mo><mo stretchy="false">[</mo><mi>A</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>B</mi><mo stretchy="false">]</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\text{"}f\text{"}: I \to [A, B]</annotation></semantics></math>, and which is an element of the internal hom <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mo stretchy="false">[</mo><mi>A</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>B</mi><mo stretchy="false">]</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">[A, B]</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> <p>Finally, in contrast to a global element, a morphism to <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x</annotation></semantics></math> from <em>any</em> object <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>i</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">i</annotation></semantics></math> whatsoever may be seen as a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/generalized+element">generalized element</a> of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x</annotation></semantics></math>. For example, if <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>i</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">i</annotation></semantics></math> is the <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/unit+interval">unit interval</a> (in topology, chain complexes, etc), then a map from <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>i</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">i</annotation></semantics></math> to <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x</annotation></semantics></math> is a <em>path</em> (rather than a point) in <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>x</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x</annotation></semantics></math>. Or in a slice category <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>C</mi><mo stretchy="false">/</mo><mi>b</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">C/b</annotation></semantics></math>, if <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>ρ</mi><mo>:</mo><mi>a</mi><mo>→</mo><mi>b</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\rho: a \to b</annotation></semantics></math> is an <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/embedding">embedding</a>, then a morphism from <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>ρ</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\rho</annotation></semantics></math> to <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>π</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\pi</annotation></semantics></math> is a <em>local</em> section of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>π</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\pi</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> <div class="footnotes"><hr /><ol><li id="fn:1"> <p>See, e.g., John Baez, Quantum Gravity Seminar, University of California, Riverside, Fall 2006, notes taken by Derek Wise, lecture of 2 November 2006. <a href="#fnref:1" rev="footnote">↩</a></p> </li></ol></div></body></html> </div> <div class="revisedby"> <p> Last revised on August 13, 2023 at 10:36:31. 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