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CounterexampleConstruction: Literature-sourcedVerification: AI-adaptedSession-authored (Fable 5 assisted)precheck passaudited 2026-08-24
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A reflexive coequalizer of sets not preserved by Set(N,)

Statement refuted

The covariant representable functor Set(N,) need not preserve reflexive coequalizers. There is a reflexive coequalizer of sets whose image under this functor is not a coequalizer.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: The successor map σ(n)=n+1 on N and the coproduct N⨿N with injections i0,i1.

[L1]

A reflexive pair has a common section r satisfying fr=gr=1 (Reflexive parallel pairs and reflexive coequalizers).

[L2]

A coequalizer universally identifies the two maps of a parallel pair (Equalizers and coequalizers as limits and colimits of a parallel pair).

[L3]

The functions AB form the set BA (The set BA of all functions AB).

Counterexample

technique · direct
1.1

Define f=[σ,1] and g=[1,1]:N⨿NN. The second injection i1 is a common section because fi1=gi1=1N, so the pair is reflexive by [L1].

constructL1
2.1

The unique map q:N1 is the coequalizer: the relation f(i0(n))=n+1n=g(i0(n)) connects every natural to 0, and any map coequalizing f,g is therefore constant and factors uniquely through q.

step 1.1L2
2.2

Applying Set(N,) gives a pair (N⨿N)NNN. For a function h:NN⨿N, the two resulting sequences fh and gh differ at each coordinate by either 0 or 1.

step 1.1L3
3.1

Every finite zigzag generated by pairs from step 2.2 has a uniform coordinatewise difference bound, namely its number of zigzag edges, by repeated use of the triangle inequality on natural-number differences.

step 2.2algebra
4.1

The zero sequence z(n)=0 and identity sequence d(n)=n have unbounded coordinatewise difference, so step 3.1 shows that no finite zigzag identifies them.

step 3.1construct
5.1

Both sequences map under qN to the unique element of 1N, yet they remain distinct in the coequalizer of the image pair. Therefore qN is not the coequalizer required by [L2], and Set(N,) does not preserve this reflexive coequalizer.

step 2.1step 4.1L2

Depends on

Used by

Nothing in the library uses this result yet.

Dependency tree · two levels

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Sources