Two pages on slice categories

I am intermittently thinking about categories again, and I think I got something wrong in the current set of notes. I there defined slice categories in a way that doesn’t work, at least given my initial preferred definition of categories (which is the same as Awodey’s or Riehl’s).

OK: What is an arrow in a slice category (C/X) from the object (A, f \colon A \to X) to the object (B, g \colon B \to X) — where, of course,  A, B are [image error]-objects, and f, g are [image error]-arrows?

Since we are constructing (C/X) from data in [image error] the natural thing to do is to use a [image error]-arrow j \colon A \to B which interacts appropriately with f and g, giving us a commuting triangle with f = g \circ j.

But that still leaves two options. The simpler option (1) identifies the needed C/X-arrow with j by itself. A more complex option (2) takes the needed C/X-arrow to be the whole commuting triangle, or if you like, the triple (f, j, g). In the earlier set of notes I went for the simpler (1). But I don’t think this can be right for a reason I explain. And I now note that Leinster initially goes for (2) (though his language then wobbles).

So here are two improved(?)pages on slice categories which I do hope now get things right. But let me know if I have gone off-piste!

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Published on January 10, 2023 08:24
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