Information on the mini-course

1. Learning outcomes

Students should be able to rephrase concepts and results, already known or learned afterwards, using the language of category theory; define mathematical objects by means of their universal properties, and use it to derive specific properties of such objects.

2. Teaching methods

Teaching consists of classroom lectures and optional exercises related to the topics covered so far in the course. It is assumed that students have some mathematical background.

3. Syllabus

• Basic notions: categories, diagrams, functors, special arrows and special objects.
• Sample applications: algebras and co-algebras for an endofunctor.
• Universal properties: products, exponentials, cones and limits.
• More notions: natural transformations, adjunctions.
• Optional topics: monoidal categories, monads.

4. Teaching material

• Slides used in lectures will be made available in the folder SLIDES.
• Material available online is referenced through links or copied in the folder TEACHING MATERIAL.

5. Exam

You can choose between an oral exam consisting of a discussion of a paper previously agreed with the teacher, or some blackboard exercises on the topics covered in the course.

Students with disability and specific learning disorder (DSL in English/DSA in Italian) should check the information (in Italian) on the University web site and use the following request form https://modulionline.unige.it/richiesta-adattamenti.