The category of finite strings (Q6101138)

A basic string consists of a pair of integers \(s=(s',s'')\) where \(s'\leq s''\). Given an integer \(n\geq 0\), we define the connected \(n\)-string, denoted as \(\Sigma_n\), as the set of all basic strings \((s',s'')\) with \(0\leq s' \leq s''\leq n\), in addition to a zero string denoted as \(*\). A morphism of connected strings is a function that preserves the concatenation of basic strings and the zero string. The category of connected \(n\)-strings is denoted as \(\Sigma\). Finally, let us consider the category of finite strings, which we will denote as \(\amalg\Sigma\), whose objects are the finite coproducts of the pointed sets \((\Sigma_n,*)\). The first part of the reviewed paper shows the following. First, that the category \(\Sigma\) is equivalent to the category obtained by identifying the initial and terminal objects of the category of simplexes. Second, that if \(A_n\) is the category of \(k\)-representations of the poset \([n]\), and \(A\) is the category whose objects are the abelian categories \(A_n\) and whose morphisms are \(k\)-linear exact functors admitting a homological factorization, then the category \(\Sigma\) is equivalent to the category \(A\). And third, that the lattice of subobjects of \(\Sigma_n\) in \(\amalg\Sigma\) is isomorphic to the lattice of non-crossing partitions \(NC(n+1)\) (see [\textit{R. Simion}, Discrete Math. 217, No. 1--3, 367--409 (2000; Zbl 0959.05009)]). In the second part of the paper similar results are developed for the so-called enlarged category of finite strings, which is constructed similarly to \(\amalg\Sigma\) with the difference that now cyclic strings are considered in addition to connected strings.