English

On Vector Spaces with Formal Infinite Sums

Category Theory 2026-03-10 v5 Logic

Abstract

I discuss possible definitions of categories of vector spaces enriched with a notion of formal infinite linear combination in the likes of the formal infinite linear combinations one has in the context of generalized power series, I call these \emph{reasonable categories of strong vector spaces} (r.c.s.v.s.). I show that, in a precise sense, the more general possible definition for a strong vector space is that of a small Vect\mathrm{Vect}-enriched endofunctor of Vect\mathrm{Vect} that is right orthogonal for every cardinal λ\lambda, to the cokernel of the canonical inclusion of the λ\lambda-th copower in the λ\lambda-th power of the identity functor: these form the objects for a universal r.c.s.v.s. I call ΣVect\Sigma\mathrm{Vect}. I show this is equivalent to the category of \emph{ultrafinite summability spaces} defined independently in arXiv:2403.05827. I relate this category to what could be understood to be the obvious category of strong vector spaces BΣVectB\Sigma\mathrm{Vect} and to the r.c.s.v.s. KTVectsK\mathrm{TVect}_s of separated linearly topologized spaces that are generated by linearly compact spaces. I analyze the monoidal closed structures on various r.s.v.s. induced by the natural one on Ind(Vectop)\mathrm{Ind}(\mathrm{Vect}^{\mathrm{op}}). In particular with respect to the problem of closure under the tensor product of Ind(Vectop)\mathrm{Ind}(\mathrm{Vect}^{\mathrm{op}}). Most of the technical results apply to a more general class of orthogonal subcategories of Ind(Vectop)\mathrm{Ind}(\mathrm{Vect}^{\mathrm{op}}) and we work with that generality as it's cost-free.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2303.08000,
  title  = {On Vector Spaces with Formal Infinite Sums},
  author = {Pietro Freni},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2303.08000},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

55 pages, appeared in Appl Categor Struct, replacement of the previous erroneous version upload

R2 v1 2026-06-28T09:16:45.348Z