Functors on $\mathbf{Set}$ preserve epics and monics

category-theoryelementary-set-theory

I'm trying to prove that a functor $F:\mathbf{Set}\to\mathbf{Set}$ preserves epics and monics, but I'm stuck more or less at the beginning of the proof.

Suppose $f:X\to Y$ is epic. Consider $F(f):F(X)\to F(Y)$. To show that it's epic, I assume we need to use the characterization of epics in the category of sets (i.e. that epics=surjective maps) – how else can we take advantage of working with sets? So, assume $\beta\in F(Y)$. Need to find $\alpha\in F(X)$ with $F(f)(\alpha)=\beta$. To use the surjectivity of $f$, we need to get hold of an element of $Y$. But I don't see any way to get an element of $Y$ from an element of $F(Y)$ for an arbitrary functor $F$.

With injectivity, we have the same problem. Suppose $f:X\to Y$ is monic (=injective). Suppose $F(f)(\alpha_1)=F(f)(\alpha_2)$. Again, to use the definition of injectivity of $f$, we need (I suppose) an element of $Y$ that is equal to $f(something_1)$ and also to $f(something_2)$.

I've also tried thinking in terms of cancellation of arrows in both cases, but it doesn't seem to be beneficial, and in that case I don't know how to take advantage of the category of sets.

Best Answer

Using the axiom of choice, you can prove that epimorphisms (surjections) split in $\mathbf{Set}$, meaning that if $f \colon A \to B$ is epic, then there exists $g \colon B \to A$ such that $f \circ g = \text{id}_B$. From there, you just need to prove that functors preserve split epimorphisms.

The corresponding statement for monomorphisms isn't true (see this question). However, monomorphisms with non-empty domain split, so the same proof would work for those.