Reflective subcategories of the category of sets

category-theory

In Exercise $4D$ of "The Joy of Cats", the authors ask for a proof of the following facts concerning the category of sets:

  1. ${\bf Set}$ has precisely three full, isomorphism-closed, reflective subcategories.

  2. ${\bf Set}$ has infinitely many reflective subcategories (non-necessarily full or isomorphism-closed or both).

Now, my question is: does there exist a full not isomorphism-closed reflective subcategory?

Best Answer

Sure, for instance take $\mathbf{C}\subset \mathbf{Set}$ the full subcategory consisting of the cardinal sets. In general, if $\mathbf{C}\subset \mathbf{D}$ is a reflexive subcategory, then any skeleton of $\mathbf{C}$ is also reflexive in $\mathbf{D}$.

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