Direct reflections (Q1840756)

Simplicity is a reasonably common property of reflectors, which corresponds to particularly well-behaved factorization systems. This paper defines and studies directness, a concept obtained from the essential ingredients in the definition of simplicity: a pointed endofunctor \((R,r)\) in a category is called direct if for each morphism \(f:x\to y\) the pullback of \(Rf\) and \(r_y\) exists and the unique fill-in \(u\) from \(x\) to the pullback is such that \(Ru\) is iso. Several results are obtained relating directness with reflectivity, factorization systems and perfect morphisms. Several detailed examples are given involving various topological categories.