nLab zero morphism

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Contents

Definition

Definition

In a category CC with zero object 00 the zero morphism 0 c,d:cd0_{c,d} : c \to d between two objects c,dCc, d \in C is the unique morphism that factors through 00:

0 c,d:c0d. 0_{c,d} : c \to 0 \to d \,.

More generally, in any category enriched over the closed monoidal category of pointed sets (with tensor product the smash product), the zero morphism 0 c,d:cd0_{c,d} : c \to d is the basepoint of the hom-object [c,d][c,d].

Remark

In fact, an enrichment over pointed sets consists precisely of the choice of a ‘zero’ morphism 0 c,d:cd0_{c,d}:c\to d for each pair of objects, with the property that 0 c,df=0 b,d0_{c,d} \circ f = 0_{b,d} and f0 a,b=0 a,cf\circ 0_{a,b} = 0_{a,c} for any morphism f:bcf:b\to c. Such an enrichment is unique if it exists, for if we are given a different collection of zero morphisms 0 c,d0'_{c,d}, we must have

0 c,d=0 c,d0 c,c=0 c,d0'_{c,d} = 0'_{c,d} \circ 0_{c,c} = 0_{c,d}

for any c,dc,d. Thus, the existence of zero morphisms can be regarded as a property of a category, rather than structure on it. (To be more precise, it is an instance of property-like structure, since not every functor between categories with zero morphisms will necessarily preserve the zero morphisms, although an equivalence of categories will.)

Examples

See at zero object for examples.

Last revised on April 19, 2018 at 06:54:44. See the history of this page for a list of all contributions to it.