---
title: Exercises in Category Theory — 1.1
published: 2016-01-29
tags: Category Theory
---

<div class="exercise">
Sets and functions do form a category $\ca{Set}$.

<div class="proof">
The objects of $\ca{Set}$ are sets and its arrows are functions.

For any set $A$ we identify $\idarr{A}$ with the identity function on $A$, $\id : A \to A$.

$\circ$ is indeed associative.
</div>
</div>

<div class="exercise">
Each [poset](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partially_ordered_set) is a category.

<div class="proof">
The objects of each poset are its elements and we construct an arrow $\arr{a}{\leq}{b}$ for every pair of objects $(a, b)$ iff $a \leq b$.

Reflexivity ($a \leq a$) and transitivity ($a \leq b \land b \leq c \implies a \leq c$) provide a construction for $\idarr{a}$ and $\circ$, respectively.
</div>
</div>

<div class="exercise">
Each [monoid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoid) is a category.

<div class="proof">
The objects of each monoid are its elements and we construct for every pair of elements $(a, b)$ an arrow $\arr{a}{\cdot b}{a \cdot b}$.

The existence of an identity element and associativity, as required by the monoid structure, immediately provide us with a construction for $\id$ and associativity of $\circ$.
</div>
</div>