Homotopy Type Theory precategory > history (Rev #3, changes)

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Definition

A precategory $A$ consists of the following.

• A type $A_0$, whose elements are called objects. Typically $A$ is coerced to $A_0$ in order to write $x:A$ for $x:A_0$.

• For each $a,b:A$, a set $hom_A(a,b)$, whose elements are called arrows or morphisms.

• For each $a:A$, a morphism $1_a:hom_A(a,a)$, called the identity morphism.

• For each $a,b,c:A$, a function

  $$hom_A(b,c) \to hom_A(a,b) \to hom_A(a,c)$$

  called composition, and denoted infix by $g \mapsto f \mapsto g \circ f$, or sometimes $gf$.

• For each $a,b:A$ and $f:hom_A(a,b)$, we have $f=1_b \circ f$ and $f=f\circ 1_a$.

• For eagh $a,b,c,d:A$,

  $$f:hom_A(a,b),\ g:hom_A(b,c),\ h:hom_A(c,d)$$

  we have $h\circ (g\circ f)=(h\circ g)\circ f$.

Properties

There are two notions of “sameness” for objects of a precategory. On one hand we have an isomorphism? between objects $a$ and $b$ on the other hand we have equality of objects $a$ and $b$.

There is a special kind of precategory called a category where these two notions of equality coincide and some very nice properties arise.

Lemma 9.1.4 (idtoiso)

if $A$ is a precategory and $a,b:A$, then there is a map

Proof. By induction on identity, we may assume $a$ and $b$ are the same. But then we have $1_a:hom_A(a,a)$, which is clearly an isomorphism. $\square$

Examples

See category

See also

Category theory in HoTT category Rezk completion

References

HoTT Book