Torsion theories and radicals in normal categories (Q854892)

The authors introduce a relativized notion of (semi)normalcy for pointed, finitely complete categories having a proper stable factorization system. They study torsion theories in such categories by using radicals and normal closure operators. In particular, torsion free and torsion classes are characterized in terms of their closure under extensions. These results generalize similar ones obtained in the context of semi-abelian categories introduced by \textit{G.~Janelidze, L.~Márki} and \textit{W.~Tholen} [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 168, 367--386 (2002; Zbl 0993.18008)]. Note also a homological category with binary coproducts is seminormal in the sense introduced here, and it is normal if and only if it is semi-abelian. The main examples and applications given in the paper deal with the categories of topological groups, of pointed sets and of pointed topological spaces.