Distributive algebras in linear categories (Q2366149)

The authors introduce the notion of a linear category in order to study the relationship between tensor products and coproducts in a fairly general context. Linear categories as defined by the authors are particular concrete solid categories [cf. \textit{R. Börger} and the reviewer, Can. J. Math. 42, 213-229 (1990; Zbl 0742.18001); \textit{J. Adámek} and the reviewer, J. Algebra 133, 63-78 (1990; Zbl 0703.18001)] with an internal hom; the monadic linear categories are exactly the autonomous equational categories in the sense of \textit{F. E. J. Linton} [J. Math. Mech. 15, 637-642 (1966; Zbl 0146.251)]. For a finitary algebraic theory \(T\), a distributive \(T\)-algebra \(A\) in a linear category \(\text{\textbf{A}}\) is given by a \(T\)-algebra structure on the underlying set of \(A\) such that all operations become morphisms in each component. The main result of the paper deals with the concrete construction of colimits in the category \(\text{Distr}(\text{\textbf{A}},T)\) of distributive \(T\)-algebras in \(\text{\textbf{A}}\), in terms of colimits in \(\text{\textbf{Set}}^ T\) and of semifinal lifts with respect to the solid functor \(\text{\textbf{A}}\to\text{\textbf{Set}}\). Examples from algebra and lattice theory are also presented.