A functor $F\colon \mathcal{C}\to \mathcal{D}$ is full if, for each $A,B\in \operatorname {\mathrm{Obj}}\webleft (\mathcal{C}\webright )$, the action on morphisms
of $F$ at $\webleft (A,B\webright )$ is surjective.
Let $\mathcal{C}$ and $\mathcal{D}$ be categories.
A functor $F\colon \mathcal{C}\to \mathcal{D}$ is full if, for each $A,B\in \operatorname {\mathrm{Obj}}\webleft (\mathcal{C}\webright )$, the action on morphisms
of $F$ at $\webleft (A,B\webright )$ is surjective.
Let $F\colon \mathcal{C}\to \mathcal{D}$ and $G\colon \mathcal{D}\to \mathcal{E}$ be functors.
Interaction With Composition. If $F$ and $G$ are full, then so is $G\circ F$.
Interaction With Postcomposition I. If $F$ is full, then the postcomposition functor
can fail to be full.
Interaction With Postcomposition II. If, for each $\mathcal{X}\in \operatorname {\mathrm{Obj}}\webleft (\mathsf{Cats}\webright )$, the postcomposition functor
is full, then $F$ is also full.
Interaction With Precomposition I. If $F$ is full, then the precomposition functor
can fail to be full.
Interaction With Precomposition II. If, for each $\mathcal{X}\in \operatorname {\mathrm{Obj}}\webleft (\mathsf{Cats}\webright )$, the precomposition functor
is full, then $F$ can fail to be full.
Interaction With Precomposition III. If $F$ is essentially surjective and full, then the precomposition functor
is full (and also faithful by Item 4 of Proposition 11.6.1.1.2).
Interaction With Precomposition IV. The following conditions are equivalent:
For each $\mathcal{X}\in \operatorname {\mathrm{Obj}}\webleft (\mathsf{Cats}\webright )$, the precomposition functor
is full.
The functor $F\colon \mathcal{C}\to \mathcal{D}$ is a corepresentably full morphism in $\mathsf{Cats}_{\mathsf{2}}$ in the sense of Chapter 13: Types of Morphisms in Bicategories, Definition 13.2.1.1.1.
The components
of the unit
of the adjunction $F^{*}\dashv \operatorname {\mathrm{Ran}}_{F}$ are all retractions/split epimorphisms.
The components
of the counit
of the adjunction $\operatorname {\mathrm{Lan}}_{F}\dashv F^{*}$ are all sections/split monomorphisms.
For each $B\in \operatorname {\mathrm{Obj}}\webleft (\mathcal{D}\webright )$, there exist:
An object $A_{B}$ of $\mathcal{C}$;
A morphism $s_{B}\colon B\to F\webleft (A_{B}\webright )$ of $\mathcal{D}$;
A morphism $r_{B}\colon F\webleft (A_{B}\webright )\to B$ of $\mathcal{D}$;
satisfying the following condition:
defined as the composition
is a composition of surjective functions, it follows from that it is also surjective. Therefore $G\circ F$ is full.
Objects. We have $\operatorname {\mathrm{Obj}}\webleft (\mathcal{C}\webright )=\left\{ A,B\right\} $.
Morphisms. We have
Composition. The nontrivial compositions in $\mathcal{C}$ are the following:
We may picture $\mathcal{C}$ as follows:
and on non-identity morphisms by
Finally, let $\mathcal{X}=\mathsf{B}\mathbb {Z}_{/2}$ be the walking involution and let $\iota _{A},\iota _{B}\colon \mathsf{B}\mathbb {Z}_{/2}\rightrightarrows \mathcal{C}$ be the inclusion functors from $\mathsf{B}\mathbb {Z}_{/2}$ to $\mathcal{C}$ with
Since every morphism in $\mathbb {1}$ has a preimage in $\mathcal{C}$ by $F$, the functor $F$ is full. Now, for $F_{*}$ to be full, the map
so this is impossible:
Proof of $\operatorname {\mathrm{Nat}}\webleft (\iota _{A},\iota _{B}\webright )=\text{Ø}$: A natural transformation $\alpha \colon \iota _{A}\Rightarrow \iota _{B}$ consists of a morphism
in $\mathcal{C}$ making the diagram
If $\alpha =f$, the naturality diagram for the unique nonidentity element of $\mathbb {Z}_{/2}$ is given by
If $\alpha =g$, the naturality diagram for the unique nonidentity element of $\mathbb {Z}_{/2}$ is given by
As a result, there are no natural transformations from $\iota _{A}$ to $\iota _{B}$.
Proof of $\operatorname {\mathrm{Nat}}\webleft (F\circ \iota _{A},F\circ \iota _{B}\webright )\cong \mathrm{pt}$: A natural transformation
consists of a morphism
in $\mathbb {1}$ making the diagram
This finishes the proof.
is full. However, by Item 5 of Proposition 11.10.1.1.2, we have isomorphisms of categories
and the diagram
Item 7a and Item 7b Are Equivalent: This is true by the definition of corepresentably full morphism; see Chapter 13: Types of Morphisms in Bicategories, Definition 13.2.2.1.1.
Item 7a and Item 7e Are Equivalent: See Item (b) of Remark 4.3 of [AESV, On Functors Which Are Lax Epimorphisms].
This finishes the proof.
Item 7 of Proposition 11.6.2.1.2 gives a characterisation of the functors $F$ for which $F^{*}$ is full, but the characterisations given there are really messy. Are there better ones?
This question also appears as [Emily, Looking for a nice characterisation of functors $F$ whose precomposition functor $F^*$ is full].