Relative fixed points of functors

We show how the relatively initial or relatively terminal fixed points for a well-behaved functor $F$ form a pair of adjoint functors between $F$-coalgebras and $F$-algebras. We use the language of locally presentable categories to find sufficient conditions for existence of this adjunction. We show that relative fixed points may be characterized as (co)equalizers of the free (co)monad on $F$. In particular, when $F$ is a polynomial functor on $\mathsf{Set}$ the relative fixed points are a quotient or subset of the free term algebra or the cofree term coalgebra. We give examples of the relative fixed points for polynomial functors and an example which is the Sierpinski carpet. Lastly, we prove a general preservation result for relative fixed points. 26 pages

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Publication Details

Journal
Fundamenta Informaticae
Published
2025-08-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.46298/fi.12374
Primary Topic
Homotopy and Cohomology in Algebraic Topology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Relative fixed points of functors

Ezra Schoen, Jade Master, Clemens Kupke
Fundamenta Informaticae
Homotopy and Cohomology in Algebraic Topology
article

Relative fixed points of functors

Ezra Schoen, Jade Master, Clemens Kupke
article en

Abstract

We show how the relatively initial or relatively terminal fixed points for a well-behaved functor $F$ form a pair of adjoint functors between $F$-coalgebras and $F$-algebras. We use the language of locally presentable categories to find sufficient conditions for existence of this adjunction. We show that relative fixed points may be characterized as (co)equalizers of the free (co)monad on $F$. In particular, when $F$ is a polynomial functor on $\mathsf{Set}$ the relative fixed points are a quotient or subset of the free term algebra or the cofree term coalgebra. We give examples of the relative fixed points for polynomial functors and an example which is the Sierpinski carpet. Lastly, we prove a general preservation result for relative fixed points. 26 pages

Fundamenta InformaticaeVol. Volume 194, Issue 2: Fixed...
Leverhulme Trust
Openalex Percentile: Top 71%
Homotopy and Cohomology in Algebraic Topology
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