{
  "aliases": null,
  "backlinks": null,
  "body": "\n## Definition\n\nLet $\\mathcal{C}$ be a small [[category|A2DE66937D]] and let $\\mathcal{D}$ be a category.\nThe *functor category* $[\\mathcal{C}, \\mathcal{D}]$ is defined as follows:\n\n1. its objects are the [[functors|28NQ0KRHD3]] $\\mathcal{C} \\to \\mathcal{D}$;\n2. its morphisms $F \\to G$ are the [[natural transformations|KYCPCC57FT]] $\\alpha \\colon F \\Rightarrow G$;\n3. the composite of $\\alpha \\colon F \\Rightarrow G$ and $\\beta \\colon G \\Rightarrow H$ is $\\beta \\circ \\alpha$ with components $(\\beta \\circ \\alpha)_A = \\beta_A \\circ \\alpha_A$, and the identity of $F$ has components $1_{F(A)}$.\n\n## Remarks\n\nThe composite $\\beta \\circ \\alpha$ is natural, because both of its naturality squares can be pasted together.\nIt is also written $\\mathcal{D}^{\\mathcal{C}}$ or $\\mathrm{Fun}(\\mathcal{C}, \\mathcal{D})$.\nSmallness of $\\mathcal{C}$ ensures that, when $\\mathcal{D}$ is locally small, the natural transformations between two functors form a set.\nExample: let $G$ be a [[group|G5S1M9]], seen as a category with one object $\\ast$ and with the elements of $G$ as morphisms.\nA functor $G \\to \\mathbf{Set}$ is a set $X = F(\\ast)$ with a [[group action|0WCY42EV9V]] $g \\cdot x = F(g)(x)$, and a natural transformation is a map $h$ with $h(g \\cdot x) = g \\cdot h(x)$.\nSo $[G, \\mathbf{Set}]$ is the category of $G$-sets.\nNon-example: a family of morphisms $\\alpha_A \\colon F(A) \\to G(A)$ that fails one naturality square is not a morphism of $[\\mathcal{C}, \\mathcal{D}]$.\nA morphism of $[\\mathcal{C}, \\mathcal{D}]$ is an isomorphism exactly when all its components are isomorphisms.\n",
  "commit": "ff8a40749dc16545e3d2fc637f6b0196e81d0bfa",
  "front": {
    "defines": "1X0WKFQX8K",
    "kind": "definition",
    "msc": [
      "18A25",
      "18A23"
    ],
    "name": "Functor category",
    "sources": [
      {
        "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functor_category"
      }
    ],
    "tag": "ZFT23VCN7Z",
    "uses": [
      "A2DE66937D",
      "28NQ0KRHD3",
      "KYCPCC57FT",
      "0WCY42EV9V",
      "G5S1M9"
    ]
  },
  "kind": "definition",
  "link": "https://tamnd.github.io/math2/node/ZFT23VCN7Z/",
  "links": [
    {
      "field": "defines",
      "target": "1X0WKFQX8K"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "A2DE66937D"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "28NQ0KRHD3"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "KYCPCC57FT"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0WCY42EV9V"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "G5S1M9"
    }
  ],
  "markdown": "https://tamnd.github.io/math2/node/ZFT23VCN7Z.md",
  "msc": [
    "18A25",
    "18A23"
  ],
  "name": "Functor category",
  "prov": null,
  "role": "",
  "source": "https://github.com/tamnd/math2/blob/main/nodes/ZFT/ZFT23VCN7Z.md",
  "status": null,
  "tag": "ZFT23VCN7Z",
  "uri": "m2://ZFT23VCN7Z",
  "url": "https://tamnd.github.io/math2/wiki/functor-category-definition/",
  "writing": {
    "tag": "ZFT23VCN7Z",
    "kind": "definition",
    "level": "W0",
    "next": [
      {
        "what": "a source with a locator",
        "have": 0,
        "want": 1
      }
    ]
  }
}
