Multivariate functorial difference
Abstract
Partial difference operators for a large class of functors between presheaf categories are introduced, extending our difference operator from \cite{Par24} to the multivariable case. These combine into the Jacobian profunctor which provides the setting for a lax chain rule. We introduce a functorial version of multivariable Newton series whose aim is to recover a functor from its iterated differences. Not all functors are recovered but we get a best approximation in the form of a left adjoint, and the induced comonad is idempotent. Its fixed points are what we call soft analytic functors, a generalization of the multivariable analytic functors of Fiore et al.~\cite{FioGamHylWin08}.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2409.09494,
title = {Multivariate functorial difference},
author = {Robert Paré},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2409.09494},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
60 pages, Final version accepted for Mathematical Structures in Computer Science (Phil Scott memorial volume)