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'groupoid (category theoretic)'
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| Title of object: |
groupoid (category theoretic) |
| Canonical Name: |
GroupoidCategoryTheoretic |
| Type: |
Definition |
| Created on: |
2002-11-06 18:50:24 |
| Modified on: |
2007-12-03 20:19:37 |
| Classification: |
msc:18B40, msc:20L05 |
| Defines: |
composable pair |
| Synonyms: |
groupoid (category theoretic)=groupoid
groupoid (category theoretic)=virtual group |
Preamble:
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Content:
\PMlinkescapeword{name}
A \emph{groupoid}, also known as a \emph{virtual group}, is a small category where every morphism is invertible. To explicitly define a groupoid, we start with a set $G$, and a partial binary operation $\circ$ on $G$. Call a pair $(x,y)$ of elements of $G$ a \emph{composable pair} if $(x,y)\in\operatorname{dom}(\circ)$. A groupoid is then a set $G$ with a partial binary operation $\circ$ and two unary operations $e_L$ and $e_R$ on it, satisfying the following conditions:
\begin{enumerate}
\item $(x,y)$ and $(x\circ y, z)$ are composable pairs iff $(y,z)$ and $(x,y\circ z)$ are, and if one of these is true, then $(x\circ y)\circ z=x\circ (y\circ z)$.
\item $(e_L(x),x)$ and $(x,e_R(x))$ are composable pairs and $x=e_L(x)\circ x=x\circ e_R(x)$.
\item for each $x\in G$, there exists $y\in G$ such that $(x,y)$ and $(y,x)$ are composable pairs, and $e_L(x)=x\circ y=e_R(y)$ and $e_R(x)=y\circ x=e_L(y)$.
\end{enumerate}
Below are some properties:
\begin{itemize}
\item In condition 3 above, $y$ is unique. To see this, suppose $z\in G$ satisfies condition 3 (in place of $y$). Then $y= y\circ e_R(y)=y\circ (x\circ y)=y\circ (x\circ z)=(y\circ x)\circ z= (z\circ x)\circ z=e_L(z)\circ z = z$. We call $y$ the \emph{inverse} of $x$, and write $x^{-1}$.
\item In view of condition 3, both $e_L$ and $e_R$ are unique. In other words, if $f_L,f_R:G\to G$ are unary operators on $G$ satisfying conditions 2 and 3 above (in place of $e_L$ and $e_R$), then $f_L=e_L$ and $f_R=e_R$. In fact, $e_L(x)=x\circ x^{-1}$ and $e_R(x)=x^{-1}\circ x$.
\item Since $x=e_L(x)\circ x=e_L(x)\circ (e_L(x)\circ x)=(e_L(x)\circ e_L(x))\circ x$, we see that $e_L(x)$ is composable with itself, and that $e_L(x)\circ e_L(x)=e_L(x)$ by the previous property. Similarly, $e_R(x)\circ e_R(x)=e_R(x)$.
\end{itemize}
If $e_R$ and $e_L$ are constant functions, then $G$ is a group.
\textbf{Remark}. There is also a \PMlinkname{group-theoretic concept}{Groupoid} with the same name. |
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