ProofComplete

Categories and Functors - Key Proof

We present a detailed proof of the characterization of equivalences of categories.

TheoremCharacterization of Equivalences

Let F:C→DF: \mathcal{C} \to \mathcal{D} be a functor. The following are equivalent:

  1. FF is an equivalence of categories
  2. FF is fully faithful and essentially surjective
  3. There exists G:D→CG: \mathcal{D} \to \mathcal{C} such that G∘F≅idCG \circ F \cong \text{id}_\mathcal{C} and F∘G≅idDF \circ G \cong \text{id}_\mathcal{D}
Proof(1) ⇒ (3)

This is immediate from the definition of equivalence.

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Proof(3) ⇒ (2)

Assume we have G:D→CG: \mathcal{D} \to \mathcal{C} with natural isomorphisms η:idC⇒G∘F\eta: \text{id}_\mathcal{C} \Rightarrow G \circ F and ϵ:F∘G⇒idD\epsilon: F \circ G \Rightarrow \text{id}_\mathcal{D}.

Essential surjectivity: For any DD in D\mathcal{D}, we have F(G(D))≅DF(G(D)) \cong D via ϵD:F(G(D))→D\epsilon_D: F(G(D)) \to D.

Fully faithful: Let A,BA, B be objects in C\mathcal{C}. We show FA,B:HomC(A,B)→HomD(F(A),F(B))F_{A,B}: \text{Hom}_\mathcal{C}(A, B) \to \text{Hom}_\mathcal{D}(F(A), F(B)) is bijective.

Injectivity: If F(f)=F(g)F(f) = F(g), then G(F(f))=G(F(g))G(F(f)) = G(F(g)). Using naturality of η\eta: f=ηB−1∘G(F(f))∘ηA=ηB−1∘G(F(g))∘ηA=gf = \eta_B^{-1} \circ G(F(f)) \circ \eta_A = \eta_B^{-1} \circ G(F(g)) \circ \eta_A = g

Surjectivity: For h:F(A)→F(B)h: F(A) \to F(B), define f:=ηB−1∘G(h)∘ηA:A→Bf := \eta_B^{-1} \circ G(h) \circ \eta_A: A \to B. Using triangle identities and naturality: F(f)=F(ηB−1)∘F(G(h))∘F(ηA)=hF(f) = F(\eta_B^{-1}) \circ F(G(h)) \circ F(\eta_A) = h

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Proof(2) ⇒ (1)

Assume FF is fully faithful and essentially surjective. We construct quasi-inverse G:D→CG: \mathcal{D} \to \mathcal{C}.

On objects: For each DD in D\mathcal{D}, choose G(D)G(D) in C\mathcal{C} and isomorphism ϵD:F(G(D))→D\epsilon_D: F(G(D)) \to D.

On morphisms: For h:D→D′h: D \to D', consider ϵD′−1∘h∘ϵD:F(G(D))→F(G(D′))\epsilon_{D'}^{-1} \circ h \circ \epsilon_D: F(G(D)) \to F(G(D')).

Since FF is fully faithful, there exists unique G(h):G(D)→G(D′)G(h): G(D) \to G(D') with: F(G(h))=ϵD′−1∘h∘ϵDF(G(h)) = \epsilon_{D'}^{-1} \circ h \circ \epsilon_D

GG is a functor: For identity: F(G(idD))=ϵD−1∘idD∘ϵD=idF(G(D))=F(idG(D))F(G(\text{id}_D)) = \epsilon_D^{-1} \circ \text{id}_D \circ \epsilon_D = \text{id}_{F(G(D))} = F(\text{id}_{G(D)})

By faithfulness, G(idD)=idG(D)G(\text{id}_D) = \text{id}_{G(D)}.

For composition: Similar diagram chasing shows G(h′∘h)=G(h′)∘G(h)G(h' \circ h) = G(h') \circ G(h).

Natural isomorphisms: ϵ={ϵD}\epsilon = \{\epsilon_D\} gives F∘G⇒idDF \circ G \Rightarrow \text{id}_\mathcal{D} by construction.

For ηA:A→G(F(A))\eta_A: A \to G(F(A)), define as unique morphism with F(ηA)=ϵF(A)−1F(\eta_A) = \epsilon_{F(A)}^{-1} (exists by full faithfulness). This forms natural isomorphism idC⇒G∘F\text{id}_\mathcal{C} \Rightarrow G \circ F. □\square

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Remark

This proof reveals that categorical equivalence is weaker than isomorphism: we only require G∘F≅idCG \circ F \cong \text{id}_\mathcal{C} rather than equality. This flexibility makes equivalence the "right" notion of sameness for categories.