Continuity is an adjoint functor
Category Theory
2014-08-13 v1
Abstract
For topological spaces and , a (not necessarily continuous) function naturally induces a functor from the category of closed subsets of (with morphisms given by inclusions) to the category of closed subsets of . The function also naturally induces a functor from the category of closed subsets of to the category of closed subsets of . Our aim in this expository note is to show that the function is continuous if and only if the first of the above two functors is a left adjoint to the second. We thereby obtain elementary examples of adjoint pairs (apparently) not part of the standard introductory treatments of this subject.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1408.2596,
title = {Continuity is an adjoint functor},
author = {Edward S. Letzter},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1408.2596},
year = {2014}
}
Comments
To appear in the American Mathematical Monthly