Tensor envelopes of regular categories (Q2381847)

The author constructs the tensor envelope of every regular category, which is a pseudo-abelian category where the morphisms are linear combinations of relations over a ground ring. The composition of morphisms is induced by the composition of relations twisted by a degree function on surjective morphisms. Direct product in the original category makes the tensor envelope a rigid symmetrical monoidal category. When the ground ring is a field of characteristic zero, the following is proved. If the ground field is algebraically closed, for every subobject finite (i.e., every object has only finitely many subobjects), exact and Mal'cev regular categories, the factor of the tensor envelope by the maximal proper tensor ideal is semisimple (theorem 6.1). For subobject finite regular categories, a numerical condition on indecomposable surjective morphisms is given for the maximal proper tensor ideal to be zero (theorem 8.6). Tensor functors from the tensor envelope to the category of vector fields over the ground field are classified (theorem 9.4). In particular, for subobject finite, essentially small, regular categories, all such functors induce an equivalence between the factor of the tensor envelope by the maximal proper tensor ideal and the category of representations of a certain group over the ground field (theorem 9.8). This leads to tensor envelopes interpolating the representation categories of many sequences of profinite groups.