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TheoremStatement: Literature-sourcedProof: AI-adaptedSession-authored (Fable 5 assisted)precheck passaudited 2026-08-16
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Fullness and faithfulness of a right adjoint are detected by its counit

Statement

Let FG:DC be an adjunction between locally small categories, with counit ε:FG1D.

  1. G is faithful if and only if every εd is an epimorphism.
  2. G is full if and only if every εd is a split monomorphism.
  3. G is fully faithful if and only if ε is a natural isomorphism.

Dually, F is faithful exactly when every unit component is monic, full exactly when every unit component is split epic, and fully faithful exactly when the unit is a natural isomorphism.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: The adjunction in the Statement, with unit η and counit ε.

[F1]

A functor is faithful when every induced hom-set map is injective, full when every such map is surjective, and fully faithful when every such map is bijective (Faithful, full, fully faithful, essentially surjective, and split essentially surjective functors).

[F2]

A morphism e:AB is epic when re=se implies r=s for every parallel pair r,s:BX (Monomorphism and epimorphism by left and right cancellation).

[F3]

A morphism e:AB is a split monomorphism when there is r:BA with re=1A (Split monomorphism, split epimorphism, retraction, and section).

[L1]

Transposition gives natural bijections D(Fc,d)C(c,Gd) (Under local smallness, transposition gives the natural hom-set bijection, and conversely).

Proof

technique · direct
1.1

If G is faithful and rεd=sεd, then G(r)G(εd)=G(s)G(εd); composing with ηGd and using the triangle identity gives G(r)=G(s), hence r=s. Thus each εd is epic.

F1F2L1
1.2

Conversely, if every εd is epic and G(r)=G(s), naturality gives rεd=εeFG(r)=εeFG(s)=sεd, so r=s. Hence G is faithful.

F1F2
1.3

If G is full, lift ηGd:GdGFGd to qd:dFGd with G(qd)=ηGd. Naturality of ε and the first triangle identity give qdεd=εFGdFG(qd)=εFGdF(ηGd)=1FGd, so εd is split monic.

F1F3
2.1

Conversely, choose qd with qdεd=1FGd. Then G(qd) is the inverse of G(εd), whose right inverse is ηGd by the triangle identity, so G(qd)=ηGd. For h:GdGe, the morphism r:=εeF(h)qd:de satisfies G(r)=G(εe)GF(h)ηGd=h, using naturality of η and the triangle identity. Thus G is full.

F1F3L1step 1.3
3.1

A fully faithful G makes εd both epic and split monic by steps 1.1 and 1.3; if qdεd=1, epicity gives εdqd=1, so εd is an isomorphism. Conversely, an invertible counit is epic and split monic, so steps 1.2 and 2.1 make G fully faithful.

step 1.1step 1.2step 1.3step 2.1F2F3
4.1

Passing to opposite categories exchanges the counit with the unit, faithful with faithful, epic with monic, and split monic with split epic, proving the dual assertions.

step 3.1

Depends on

Used by

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Dependency tree · next 3 levels

Direct dependencies and their dependencies through the next three levels: 19 results over 7 levels. An arrow runs from a result to what uses it, and this result sits at the bottom with a heavier outline. Click the chart to enlarge it.

Sources