An almost full embedding of the category of graphs into the category of abelian groups (Q2445861)

Let \(\mathcal{G}\) and \(\mathcal{A}\) denote the categories of graphs and abelian groups, respectively. Theorem of \textit{A. L. S. Corner} in [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 13, 687--710 (1963; Zbl 0116.02403)]: Let \(A\) be a ring of cardinality less than or equal to the continuum and torsion-free additive group. Then, there exists a ring \(\mathbb{A}\) such that \(A\subseteq\mathbb{A}\subseteq \hat{A}\) as left \(A\)-modules, \(A\cong \Hom(\mathbb{A},\mathbb{A})\) and \(|A|=|\mathbb{A}|\), where \(\hat{}\) denotes completion and \(|*|\) denotes cardinality. Based on this result and completion techniques, the author constructs a functor \(G: \mathcal{G}\to \mathcal{A}\) that is an embedding with the property that there is a natural isomorphism \(\gamma: \mathbb{Z}[\Hom_{\mathcal{G}}(X,Y)]\to \Hom_{\mathcal{A}}(GX,GY)\), where \(\mathbb{Z}[S]\) denotes the free abelian group with basis \(S\). Now, by taking the subcategory of finite graphs, the author constructs a related functor \(G_{\text{fin}}\) giving a natural transformation \[ \gamma: \mathbb{Z}[\Hom_{\mathcal{G}}(X,Y)]\to \Hom{\mathcal{A}}(G_{\text{fin}}X,G_{\text{fin}}Y) \] with the following properties {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize}\item[(1)] If \(X\) is infinite the \(|X|=|G_{\text{fin}}X|\). \item[(2)] The inclusion of \(A_{\text{fin}}\)-modules \(\mathbb{A}_{\text{fin}}\subseteq \mathbb{A}\) gives a natural transformation \(G_{\text{fin}}\to G\) consisting of inclusions. \item[(3)] \(\gamma\) is an injection. \item[(4)] If \(X\) is finite the \(\gamma\) is an isomorphism. \item[(5)] If \(\Hom_{\mathcal{G}}(X,Y)\) is finite the \(\gamma\) is an isomorphism. \end{itemize}} The author gives some applications to constructions in the category of abelian groups and under suitable assumptions and example of an orthogonal pair in the category of spectra that does not come from localization.