Subobject Classifier of a Topos is Injective

category-theorytopos-theory

Let $\mathcal{E}$ be a topos with subobject classifier $1\overset{t}{\rightarrow}\Omega$, then I want to show that $\Omega$ is injective.

So let $f:A\rightarrow\Omega$ and $g:A\rightarrow B$ be two maps in $\mathcal{E}$ with $g$ monic. Then I want to show that there exists a map $h:B\rightarrow\Omega$ such that $h\circ g = f$. Notice that by the property of a subobject classifier we have that there exists a unique map $\phi:B\rightarrow\Omega$ such that there is a pullback square
$\require{AMScd}$
\begin{CD}
A @>{\psi}>> 1\\
@VV{g}V @VV{t}V\\
B @>{\phi}>> \Omega
\end{CD}

Now I claim that $\phi$ does the job for $h$. But I don't see why $\phi\circ g= f$ (so maybe my claim is wrong). Any help would be appreciated!

Best Answer

Thinking about maps to $\Omega$ as subobjects, this is just saying that if you have a subobject $C\subseteq A$, then there is a subobject $D\subseteq B$ such that $C=A\cap D$ as subobjects of $B$. How do you find such a $D$? Well, you can just take $D=C$!

To make this precise, let $i:C\to A$ be the subobject classified by $f$. Then $gi:C\to B$ is monic since $i$ and $g$ are, so it is classified by a map $h:B\to\Omega$. Now in the diagram $$\require{AMScd} \begin{CD} C @>{1}>> C @>{}>> 1\\ @V{i}VV @VV{gi}V @VV{t}V\\ A @>{g}>> B @>{h}>> \Omega \end{CD} $$ the right square is a pullback by definition of $h$ and the left square is a pullback since $g$ is monic. This implies the outer rectangle is a pullback, i.e. that $hg$ classifies the subobject $i:C\to A$, so $hg=f$.