Natural transformations between functors between precategories

Content created by Fredrik Bakke, Egbert Rijke, Fernando Chu and Gregor Perčič.

Created on 2023-09-27.
Last modified on 2024-08-29.

module category-theory.natural-transformations-functors-precategories where
Imports 
open import category-theory.functors-precategories
open import category-theory.natural-transformations-maps-precategories
open import category-theory.precategories

open import foundation.action-on-identifications-functions
open import foundation.dependent-pair-types
open import foundation.embeddings
open import foundation.equivalences
open import foundation.function-types
open import foundation.homotopies
open import foundation.identity-types
open import foundation.propositions
open import foundation.sets
open import foundation.strictly-involutive-identity-types
open import foundation.universe-levels

Idea

Given precategories C and D, a natural transformation from a functor F : C → D to G : C → D consists of :

  • a family of morphisms γ : (x : C) → hom (F x) (G x) such that the following identity holds:
  • (G f) ∘ (γ x) = (γ y) ∘ (F f), for all f : hom x y.

Definition

module _
  {l1 l2 l3 l4 : Level}
  (C : Precategory l1 l2)
  (D : Precategory l3 l4)
  (F G : functor-Precategory C D)
  where

  hom-family-functor-Precategory : UU (l1 ⊔ l4)
  hom-family-functor-Precategory =
    hom-family-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)

  is-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    hom-family-functor-Precategory → UU (l1 ⊔ l2 ⊔ l4)
  is-natural-transformation-Precategory =
    is-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)

  natural-transformation-Precategory : UU (l1 ⊔ l2 ⊔ l4)
  natural-transformation-Precategory =
    natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)

  hom-family-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    natural-transformation-Precategory → hom-family-functor-Precategory
  hom-family-natural-transformation-Precategory =
    hom-family-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)

  naturality-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    (γ : natural-transformation-Precategory) →
    is-natural-transformation-Precategory
      ( hom-family-natural-transformation-Precategory γ)
  naturality-natural-transformation-Precategory =
    naturality-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)

Composition and identity of natural transformations

module _
  {l1 l2 l3 l4 : Level}
  (C : Precategory l1 l2)
  (D : Precategory l3 l4)
  where

  id-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    (F : functor-Precategory C D) → natural-transformation-Precategory C D F F
  id-natural-transformation-Precategory F =
    id-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)

  comp-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    (F G H : functor-Precategory C D) →
    natural-transformation-Precategory C D G H →
    natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G →
    natural-transformation-Precategory C D F H
  comp-natural-transformation-Precategory F G H =
    comp-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D H)

Equality of functors induces a natural transformation

module _
  {l1 l2 l3 l4 : Level}
  (C : Precategory l1 l2)
  (D : Precategory l3 l4)
  where

  natural-transformation-eq-Precategory :
    (F G : functor-Precategory C D) →
    F ＝ G →
    natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G
  natural-transformation-eq-Precategory F G refl =
    id-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F

  natural-transformation-eq-inv-Precategory :
    (F G : functor-Precategory C D) →
    F ＝ G →
    natural-transformation-Precategory C D G F
  natural-transformation-eq-inv-Precategory F G =
    natural-transformation-eq-Precategory G F ∘ inv

Properties

That a family of morphisms is a natural transformation is a proposition

This follows from the fact that the hom-types are sets.

module _
  {l1 l2 l3 l4 : Level}
  (C : Precategory l1 l2)
  (D : Precategory l3 l4)
  (F G : functor-Precategory C D)
  where

  is-prop-is-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    (γ : hom-family-functor-Precategory C D F G) →
    is-prop (is-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G γ)
  is-prop-is-natural-transformation-Precategory =
    is-prop-is-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)

  is-natural-transformation-prop-Precategory :
    (γ : hom-family-functor-Precategory C D F G) → Prop (l1 ⊔ l2 ⊔ l4)
  is-natural-transformation-prop-Precategory =
    is-natural-transformation-prop-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)

The set of natural transformations

module _
  {l1 l2 l3 l4 : Level}
  (C : Precategory l1 l2)
  (D : Precategory l3 l4)
  (F G : functor-Precategory C D)
  where

  is-emb-hom-family-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    is-emb (hom-family-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G)
  is-emb-hom-family-natural-transformation-Precategory =
    is-emb-hom-family-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)

  emb-hom-family-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G ↪
    hom-family-functor-Precategory C D F G
  emb-hom-family-natural-transformation-Precategory =
    emb-hom-family-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)

  is-set-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    is-set (natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G)
  is-set-natural-transformation-Precategory =
    is-set-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)

  natural-transformation-set-Precategory :
    Set (l1 ⊔ l2 ⊔ l4)
  pr1 (natural-transformation-set-Precategory) =
    natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G
  pr2 (natural-transformation-set-Precategory) =
    is-set-natural-transformation-Precategory

  extensionality-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    (α β : natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G) →
    ( α ＝ β) ≃
    ( hom-family-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G α ~
      hom-family-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G β)
  extensionality-natural-transformation-Precategory =
    extensionality-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)

  eq-htpy-hom-family-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    (α β : natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G) →
    ( hom-family-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G α ~
      hom-family-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G β) →
    α ＝ β
  eq-htpy-hom-family-natural-transformation-Precategory =
    eq-htpy-hom-family-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)

Categorical laws for natural transformations

module _
  {l1 l2 l3 l4 : Level} (C : Precategory l1 l2) (D : Precategory l3 l4)
  where

  right-unit-law-comp-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    (F G : functor-Precategory C D)
    (α : natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G) →
    comp-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F F G α
      ( id-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F) ＝ α
  right-unit-law-comp-natural-transformation-Precategory F G =
    right-unit-law-comp-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)

  left-unit-law-comp-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    (F G : functor-Precategory C D)
    (α : natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G) →
    comp-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G G
      ( id-natural-transformation-Precategory C D G) α ＝ α
  left-unit-law-comp-natural-transformation-Precategory F G =
    left-unit-law-comp-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)

  associative-comp-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    (F G H I : functor-Precategory C D)
    (α : natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G)
    (β : natural-transformation-Precategory C D G H)
    (γ : natural-transformation-Precategory C D H I) →
    comp-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G I
      ( comp-natural-transformation-Precategory C D G H I γ β) α ＝
    comp-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F H I γ
      ( comp-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G H β α)
  associative-comp-natural-transformation-Precategory F G H I =
    associative-comp-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D H)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D I)

  involutive-eq-associative-comp-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    (F G H I : functor-Precategory C D)
    (α : natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G)
    (β : natural-transformation-Precategory C D G H)
    (γ : natural-transformation-Precategory C D H I) →
    comp-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G I
      ( comp-natural-transformation-Precategory C D G H I γ β) α ＝ⁱ
    comp-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F H I γ
      ( comp-natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G H β α)
  involutive-eq-associative-comp-natural-transformation-Precategory F G H I =
    involutive-eq-associative-comp-natural-transformation-map-Precategory C D
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D F)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D G)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D H)
      ( map-functor-Precategory C D I)

Whiskering

If α : F ⇒ G is a natural transformations between functors F, G : C → D, and H : D → E is another functor, we can form the natural transformation H • α : H ∘ F ⇒ H ∘ G. Its component at x is (H • α)(x) = H(α(x)).

On the other hand, if we have a functor K : B → C, we can form a natural transformation α • K : F ∘ K ⇒ G ∘ K. Its component at x is (α • K)(x) = α(K(x)).

Here, • denotes whiskering. Note that there are two kinds of whiskering, depending on whether the first or the second parameter expects a natural transformation.

module _
  {l1 l2 l3 l4 l5 l6 : Level}
  (C : Precategory l1 l2)
  (D : Precategory l3 l4)
  (E : Precategory l5 l6)
  where

  left-whisker-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    (F G : functor-Precategory C D)
    (H : functor-Precategory D E)
    (α : natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G) →
    natural-transformation-Precategory
      ( C)
      ( E)
      ( comp-functor-Precategory C D E H F)
      ( comp-functor-Precategory C D E H G)
  left-whisker-natural-transformation-Precategory F G H α =
    ( λ x → (pr1 (pr2 H)) ((pr1 α) x)) ,
    ( λ {x} {y} → λ f →
      inv
        ( preserves-comp-functor-Precategory
          ( D)
          ( E)
          ( H)
          ( (pr1 (pr2 G)) f)
          ( (pr1 α) x)) ∙
      ( ap (pr1 (pr2 H)) ((pr2 α) f)) ∙
      ( preserves-comp-functor-Precategory
        ( D)
        ( E)
        ( H)
        ( (pr1 α) y)
        ( (pr1 (pr2 F)) f)))

  right-whisker-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    (F G : functor-Precategory C D)
    (α : natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G)
    (K : functor-Precategory E C) →
    natural-transformation-Precategory
      ( E)
      ( D)
      ( comp-functor-Precategory E C D F K)
      ( comp-functor-Precategory E C D G K)
  right-whisker-natural-transformation-Precategory F G α K =
    (λ x → (pr1 α) ((pr1 K) x)) , (λ f → (pr2 α) ((pr1 (pr2 K)) f))

Horizontal composition

Horizontal composition (here denoted by *) is generalized whiskering (here denoted by •), and also defined by it. Given natural transformations α : F ⇒ G, F, G : C → D, and β : H ⇒ I, H, I : D → E, we can form a natural transformation β * α : H ∘ F ⇒ I ∘ G.

More precisely, β * α = (β • G) ∘ (H • α), that is, we compose two natural transformations obtained by whiskering.

module _
  {l1 l2 l3 l4 l5 l6 : Level}
  (C : Precategory l1 l2)
  (D : Precategory l3 l4)
  (E : Precategory l5 l6)
  where

  horizontal-comp-natural-transformation-Precategory :
    (F G : functor-Precategory C D)
    (H I : functor-Precategory D E)
    (β : natural-transformation-Precategory D E H I)
    (α : natural-transformation-Precategory C D F G) →
    natural-transformation-Precategory
      ( C)
      ( E)
      ( comp-functor-Precategory C D E H F)
      ( comp-functor-Precategory C D E I G)
  horizontal-comp-natural-transformation-Precategory F G H I β α =
    comp-natural-transformation-Precategory C E
      ( comp-functor-Precategory C D E H F)
      ( comp-functor-Precategory C D E H G)
      ( comp-functor-Precategory C D E I G)
      ( right-whisker-natural-transformation-Precategory D E C H I β G)
      ( left-whisker-natural-transformation-Precategory C D E F G H α)

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