[Math] natural isomorphism in linear algebra

category-theorylinear algebra

Let $\mathsf{C}$ and $\mathsf{D}$ two categories and $\mathcal
F,\mathcal G$ two functors $\mathsf{C}\rightarrow\mathsf{D}$. A
natural isomorphism from $\mathcal F$ to $\mathcal G$ is the datum of
a isomorphism $\nu_X:\mathcal F(X)\rightarrow \mathcal G (X)$ for every
$X\in Obj(\mathsf{C})$ such that for every $\alpha\in \operatorname{Hom}(X,Y)$ in
$\mathsf{C}$ we have that

$$\mathcal G(\alpha)\circ\nu_X=\nu_Y\circ\mathcal F(\alpha)$$

Now, many books say that a linear isomorphism $f$ between vector spaces is a natural isomorphism if "$f$ doesn't depend from the choice of the basis". I have two questions:

1) What does formally mean the phrase "$f$ doesn't depend from the choice of the basis"?

2) How can I match the two definitions of natural isomorphism?

Best Answer

Formally, the meaning of 'does not depend on particular choices (e.g., of basis)' means precisely that the functions (or morphisms more generally) form a natural transformation. In the original article where Eilenberg and Mac Lane introduce categories they explicitly say that categories are introduced to define functors and that functors are introduced to define natural transformations.

It is very common in mathematics to use the term 'natural' about a construction (long before natural transformations existed) and in pretty much all of those cases it means that one actually constructs a natural transformation in the formal sense of category theory.

Now to answer your questions. A construction in linear algebra is said to be independent of the choice of basis if the construction uses a basis in the definition but choosing any other basis will yield the same final result. For instance, one can define the determinant of a linear transformation $T:V\to V$, on some finite dimensional vector space $V$, to be the determinant of a representing matrix relative to a basis $B$. One can then show that no matter which basis is chosen the determinant of the representing matrix is always the same. Thus, this concept is independent of the choice of basis.

Incidentally, the determinant gives an example of a natural transformation, see Why determinant is a natural transformation?

Now for question 2, quite often when you are able to construct a linear transformation that does not depend on any particular choice of basis it will be the case that this will actually be a general construction that will give you a whole family of linear transformation that together will form a natural transformation.

You might want to have a look at What is a natural isomorphism? for more examples.

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