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Everything about Functor

Mapping between categories

In mathematics, specifically category theory, a functor is a mapping between categories. Functors were first considered in algebraic topology, where algebraic objects are associated to topological spaces, and maps between these algebraic objects are associated to continuous maps between spaces. Nowadays, functors are used throughout modern mathematics to relate various categories. Thus, functors are important in every area of mathematics where category theory is applied. Wikipedia →

🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: FunctorA 5-minute orientation
  2. Skim a recent paper: The six-functor formalism for rigid analytic motivesInfluential work since 2022
  3. Pick up a classic book: CategoriesThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  4. Read the landmark paper: A Modular Functor Which is Universal¶for Quantum ComputationCited 382 times
  5. Go sideways: Representable functorA closely related topic
  6. Go sideways: Yoneda lemmaA closely related topic

📖 Definitions

Noun A function word.

Noun A function object.

Noun A category homomorphism; a morphism from a source category to a target category which maps objects to objects and arrows to arrows (either covariantly or contravariantly), in such a way as to preserve morphism composition and identities.

Noun A structure allowing a function to apply within a generic type, in a way that is conceptually similar to a functor in category theory.

🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)

🆕 Influential since 2022

📚 Books worth reading

Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.

🔗 Related topics