nLab stable factorization system

Contents

Contents

Definition

An orthogonal factorization system (E,M)(E,M) on a category CC with pullbacks is called stable if also the left class EE is stable under pullback.

Properties

In terms of indexed left adjoints

For a general (orthogonal) factorization system (E,M)(E,M), the factorizations show that for all objects the full inclusion M/xC/xM/x \to C/x (where M/xM/x consists of morphisms in MM with target xx) has a left adjoint, hence is a reflective subcategory.

The factorization system is stable if and only if these left adjoints form an indexed functor — that is, they commute with the pullback functors f *:C/yC/xf^* \colon C/y \to C/x.

Stable reflective factorization systems

A reflective factorization system on a finitely complete category is stable if and only if its corresponding reflector preserves finite limits (is a left exact functor).

The analogous statement also holds in (∞,1)-category theory, or rather at least in locally cartesian closed (∞,1)-categories. A discussion of this and formal proof in terms of homotopy type theory is in (Shulman).

A stable reflective factorization system is sometimes called local.

Examples

References

The notion appears for instance in

  • Max Kelly, A note on relations relative to a factorization system, Lecture Notes in Mathematics, 1991, Volume 1488 (1991)

  • Stefan Milius, Relations in categories, PhD thesis (pdf)

On the relation between stable factorization systems and the Beck-Chevalley condition of the associated fibrations:

  • J. Hughes and Bart Jacobs, Factorization systems and fibrations: Toward a fibred Birkhoff variety theorem, Electr. Notes in Theor. Comp. Sci., 69 (2002)

Discussion of the example (epi, mono) factorization system in toposes (for more see at regular category, here):

  • Stephen Lack, Pawel Sobocínski?, Lemma 18 in: Toposes are adhesive, in: Graph Transformations ICGT 2006, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 4178, Springer (2006) 184-198 [doi:10.1007/11841883_14, pdf]

Discussion of reflective stable factorization systems in the context of (∞,1)-category theory (and with an eye towards cohesive homotopy type theory):

Stable factorisation systems are called complete factorisation systems in the following, where they are related to comprehension schemes:

Last revised on November 29, 2023 at 17:27:38. See the history of this page for a list of all contributions to it.