Algebraic exponentiation in general categories (Q1928245)

Let \(\mathcal C\) be a category with pullbacks. The category \(\mathbf{Pt}(B)\) of points of an object \(B\) of \(\mathcal C\) is the comma category \((\mathrm{id}_B/(\mathcal C/B))\). The category \(\mathcal C\) is locally Cartesian closed if and only if for every morphism \(p: E \to B\) of \(\mathcal C\), the induced pullback \(p^*: (\mathcal C/B) \to (\mathcal C/E)\) between the comma categories over \(B\) and \(E\), respectively, possesses a right adjoint. In this case, also the functor \(p^*: \mathbf{Pt}(E) \to \mathbf{Pt}(B)\) has a right adjoint, which is called an algebraic exponentiation in the paper under review. In general, however, many categories of interest are not locally Cartesian closed. Thus, the question of whether at least an algebraic exponentiation in the above sense exists, becomes an interesting one. Several situations are studied by the author, in which this question can be answered and examples and counter-examples for the existence of such a right adjoint are given.