From objects to diagrams for ranges of functors (Q555545)

The book deals with liftings of a functor \(U:\mathcal A\to\mathcal S\) with respect to a functor \(V:\mathcal B\to\mathcal S\), i.e., with functors \(F:\mathcal A\to\mathcal B\) such that \(VF\cong U\). The motivation is that many concrete problems consist in finding such a lifting. For instance, let \(\mathcal S\) be the category of join semilattices with \(0\), \(U\) the inclusion of the subcategory of distributive lattices with \(0\), \(\mathcal B\) the category of lattices and \(V\) assigns to a lattice its semilattice of finitely generated congruences. \textit{P. Pudlák} and \textit{A. Sochor} [Z. Math. Logik Grundlagen Math. 31, 309--316 (1985; Zbl 0578.03028)] constructed a lifting \(F\), which provides a functorial version of Schmidt's theorem saying that each distributive lattice with \(0\) is the lattice of finitely generated congruences of a lattice. Very often, a lifting is given on a subcategory \(\mathcal C\) of \(\mathcal A\). This means that there is given a functor \(T:\mathcal C\to\mathcal B\) such that \(VT\cong UK\) where \(K:\mathcal C\to\mathcal A\) is the inclusion and we look for a lifting \(F:\mathcal A\to\mathcal B\) with \(FK\cong T\). For instance, in the example above, \(\mathcal C\) has the same objects as \(\mathcal A\) but only isomorphisms as morphisms and the existence of \(T\) is given by Schmidt's theorem. The book is mostly oriented to the question of when the existence of a lifting \(F\) of \(U\) with respect to \(V\) implies the existence of a lifting \(G\) of \(U^P:\mathcal A^P\to\mathcal S^P\) with respect to \(\mathcal V^P:\mathcal B^P\to\mathcal S^P\) where \(P\) is a poset. Then \(F\) provides \(G\) on the full subcategory \(\mathcal A\) of \(\mathcal A^P\) consisting of constant diagrams. The main result of the book is the \textit{condensate lifting lemma} which reduces a lifting of a diagram \(D:P\to\mathcal A\) to a lifting of the special object of \(\mathcal A\) called the \textit{condensate} of \(D\). Using this tool, the authors are able to establish a diagram version of the famous Grätzer-Schmidt theorem saying that each diagram \(D:P\to\mathcal S\) of join semilattices with \(0\) can be lifted to a diagram of finitely generated congruences of algebras. For infinite posets, one has to assume the existence of a proper class of Erdös cardinals. The book uses the language of category theory and profits from the theory of accessible categories providing extensions of functors by directed colimits. Then, a quite complicated machinery is developed leading to the condensate lifting lemma. But the list of applications is impressive and one can expect more of them in a future. Finally, let us mention that the abstract problem of a lifting with a given restriction was considered by \textit{J. Rosický} [Cah. Topol. Géom. Différ. 19, 179--220 (1978; Zbl 0393.18002)] but with much simpler functors \(V\) than those considered in the present book.