Set × Set vs. products in Set

category-theory

What's the difference between

  1. morphisms between products in $\mathbf{Set}$ ($A_1\times A_2\rightarrow B_1\times B_2$), and
  2. morphisms between objects in $\mathbf{Set}\times\mathbf{Set}$ ($(A_1, A_2)\rightarrow (B_1, B_2)$)?

Here is my own answer — can someone verify that this is correct?

Products in Set

Given sets $A_1, A_2, B_1, B_2 : \mathbf{Set}$, we have cartesian products

$$A_1\times A_2 : \mathbf{Set}$$
$$B_1\times B_2 : \mathbf{Set},$$

which are sets containing pairs. The morphisms

$$f : \text{Hom}_\mathbf{Set}(A_1 \times A_2, B_1 \times B_2)$$

between those sets are the two-argument functions of the form

$$f(a_1, a_2) = (\dots a_1 \dots a_2 \dots, \dots a_1 \dots a_2 \dots).$$

We can also refer to each component using angle-bracket notation:

$$\langle f_1, f_2\rangle : \text{Hom}_\mathbf{Set}(A_1 \times A_2, B_1 \times B_2)$$

with

$$f_1:\text{Hom}_\mathbf{Set}(A_1 \times A_2, B_1)$$
$$f_2:\text{Hom}_\mathbf{Set}(A_1 \times A_2, B_2)$$

Set x Set

By contrast, if we take the product category

$$\mathbf{Set}\times\mathbf{Set}:\mathbf{Cat},$$

we obtain the category of pairs of sets. Given $A_1, A_2, B_1, B_2 : \mathbf{Set}$, we have objects

$$(A_1, A_2):\mathbf{Set}\times\mathbf{Set},$$
$$(B_1, B_2):\mathbf{Set}\times\mathbf{Set}.$$

But unlike the earlier case, the morphisms between those two objects are pairs of functions

$$(f_1, f_2) : \text{Hom}_{\mathbf{Set}\times\mathbf{Set}}((A_1, A_2), (B_1, B_2))$$

where

$$f_1: \text{Hom}_{\mathbf{Set}}(A_1, B_1)$$
$$f_2: \text{Hom}_{\mathbf{Set}}(A_2, B_2)$$

of the form

$$f_1(a_1)=\dots a_1\dots$$
$$f_2(a_2)=\dots a_2\dots.$$

So $f_1$ cannot depend on $a_2$ and vice versa.

Best Answer

This looks right.

Essentially what you're saying is that every $f=(f_1,f_2) : (A_1,A_2) \to (B_1,B_2)$ in $\mathbf{Set} \times \mathbf{Set}$ induces a function $f_1 \times f_2 : A_1 \times A_2 \to B_1 \times B_2$ in $\mathbf{Set}$, where $f_1 \times f_2 = \langle f_1 \circ \pi_{A_1}, f_2 \circ \pi_{A_2} \rangle$, but not every function $A_1 \times A_2 \to B_1 \times B_2$ is of this form.

Or even more concisely, the product functor $\mathbf{Set} \times \mathbf{Set} \to \mathbf{Set}$ is not full.

Related Question