6.2.5 Equalisers

    Let $f,g\colon (X,x_{0})\rightrightarrows (Y,y_{0})$ be morphisms of pointed sets.

    The equaliser of $(f,g)$ is the equaliser of $f$ and $g$ in $\mathsf{Sets}_{*}$ as in Unresolved reference, Unresolved reference.

    Concretely, the equaliser of $(f,g)$ is the pair consisting of:

    • The Limit. The pointed set $(\operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f,g),x_{0})$.

    • The Cone. The morphism of pointed sets

      \[ \operatorname {\mathrm{eq}}(f,g)\colon (\operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f,g),x_{0})\hookrightarrow (X,x_{0}) \]

      given by the canonical inclusion $\operatorname {\mathrm{eq}}(f,g)\hookrightarrow \operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f,g)\hookrightarrow X$.

    We claim that $(\operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f,g),x_{0})$ is the categorical equaliser of $f$ and $g$ in $\mathsf{Sets}_{*}$. First we need to check that the relevant equaliser diagram commutes, i.e. that we have

    \[ f\circ \operatorname {\mathrm{eq}}(f,g)=g\circ \operatorname {\mathrm{eq}}(f,g), \]

    which indeed holds by the definition of the set $\operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f,g)$. Next, we prove that $\operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f,g)$ satisfies the universal property of the equaliser. Suppose we have a diagram of the form

    in $\mathsf{Sets}_{*}$. Then there exists a unique morphism of pointed sets

    \[ \phi \colon (E,*)\to (\operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f,g),x_{0}) \]

    making the diagram

    commute, being uniquely determined by the condition

    \[ \operatorname {\mathrm{eq}}(f,g)\circ \phi =e \]

    via

    \[ \phi (x)=e(x) \]

    for each $x\in E$, where we note that $e(x)\in A$ indeed lies in $\operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f,g)$ by the condition

    \[ f\circ e=g\circ e, \]

    which gives

    \[ f(e(x))=g(e(x)) \]

    for each $x\in E$, so that $e(x)\in \operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f,g)$. Lastly, we note that $\phi $ is indeed a morphism of pointed sets, as we have

    \begin{align*} \phi (*) & = e(*)\\ & = x_{0},\end{align*}

    where we have used that $e$ is a morphism of pointed sets.

    Let $(X,x_{0})$ and $(Y,y_{0})$ be pointed sets and let $f,g,h\colon (X,x_{0})\to (Y,y_{0})$ be morphisms of pointed sets.

  • 1.

    Associativity. We have isomorphisms of pointed sets

    \[ \underbrace{\operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f\circ \operatorname {\mathrm{eq}}(g,h),g\circ \operatorname {\mathrm{eq}}(g,h))}_{{}=\operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f\circ \operatorname {\mathrm{eq}}(g,h),h\circ \operatorname {\mathrm{eq}}(g,h))}\cong \operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f,g,h) \cong \underbrace{\operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f\circ \operatorname {\mathrm{eq}}(f,g),h\circ \operatorname {\mathrm{eq}}(f,g))}_{{}=\operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(g\circ \operatorname {\mathrm{eq}}(f,g),h\circ \operatorname {\mathrm{eq}}(f,g))}, \]
    where $\operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f,g,h)$ is the limit of the diagram
    in $\mathsf{Sets}_{*}$, being explicitly given by

    \[ \operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f,g,h)\cong \left\{ a\in A\ \middle |\ f(a)=g(a)=h(a)\right\} . \]
  • 2.

    Unitality. We have an isomorphism of pointed sets

    \[ \operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f,f)\cong X. \]
  • 3.

    Commutativity. We have an isomorphism of pointed sets

    \[ \operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(f,g) \cong \operatorname {\mathrm{Eq}}(g,f). \]

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