* finite strings of an alphabet `A`, with <code>⋆</code> being concatenation and `z` being the empty string
* all functions <code>X→X</code> over a set `X`, with <code>⋆</code> being composition and `z` being the identity function over `X`
-* the natural numbers with <code>⋆</code> being plus and `z` being `0` (in particular, this is a **commutative monoid**). If we use the integers, or the naturals mod n, instead of the naturals, then every element will have an inverse and so we have not merely a monoid but a **group**.)
-* if we let <code>⋆</code> be multiplication and `z` be `1`, we get different monoids over the same sets as in the previous item.
+* the natural numbers with <code>⋆</code> being plus and `z` being 0 (in particular, this is a **commutative monoid**). If we use the integers, or the naturals mod n, instead of the naturals, then every element will have an inverse and so we have not merely a monoid but a **group**.
+* if we let <code>⋆</code> be multiplication and `z` be 1, we get different monoids over the same sets as in the previous item.
Categories
----------
These parallel the constraints for monoids. Note that there can be multiple distinct morphisms between an element `E` and itself; they need not all be identity morphisms. Indeed from (iii) it follows that each element can have only a single identity morphism.
-A good intuitive picture of a category is as a generalized directed graph, where the category elements are the graph's nodes, and there can be multiple directed edges between a given pair of nodes, and nodes can also have multiple directed edges to themselves. (Every node must have at least one such, which is that node's identity morphism.)
+A good intuitive picture of a category is as a generalized directed graph, where the category elements are the graph's nodes, and there can be multiple directed edges between a given pair of nodes, and nodes can also have multiple directed edges to themselves. Morphisms correspond to directed paths of length ≥ 0 in the graph.
Some examples of categories are:
* any monoid <code>(S,⋆,z)</code> generates a category with a single element `x`; this `x` need not have any relation to `S`. The members of `S` play the role of *morphisms* of this category, rather than its elements. All of these morphisms are understood to map `x` to itself. The result of composing the morphism consisting of `s1` with the morphism `s2` is the morphism `s3`, where <code>s3=s1⋆s2</code>. The identity morphism for the (single) category element `x` is the monoid's identity `z`.
-* a **preorder** is a structure <code>(S, ≤)</code> consisting of a reflexive, transitive, binary relation on a set `S`. It need not be connected (that is, there may be members `x`,`y` of `S` such that neither <code>x≤y</code> nor <code>y≤x</code>). It need not be anti-symmetric (that is, there may be members `s1`,`s2` of `S` such that <code>s1≤s2</code> and <code>s2≤s1</code> but `s1` and `s2` are not identical). Some examples:
+* a **preorder** is a structure <code>(S, ≤)</code> consisting of a reflexive, transitive, binary relation on a set `S`. It need not be connected (that is, there may be members `s1`,`s2` of `S` such that neither <code>s1≤s2</code> nor <code>s2≤s1</code>). It need not be anti-symmetric (that is, there may be members `s1`,`s2` of `S` such that <code>s1≤s2</code> and <code>s2≤s1</code> but `s1` and `s2` are not identical). Some examples:
* sentences ordered by logical implication ("p and p" implies and is implied by "p", but these sentences are not identical; so this illustrates a pre-order without anti-symmetry)
* sets ordered by size (this illustrates it too)
And <code>(K η)</code> is a natural transformation from the (composite) functor `KG` to the (composite) functor `KH`, such that where `C1` is an element of category <b>C</b>, <code>(K η)[C1] = K(η[C1])</code>---that is, the morphism in <b>E</b> that `K` assigns to the morphism <code>η[C1]</code> of <b>D</b>.
-<code>(φ -v- η)</code> is a natural transformation from `G` to `J`; this is known as a "vertical composition". We will rely later on this, where <code>f:C1→C2</code>:
+<code>(φ -v- η)</code> is a natural transformation from `G` to `J`; this is known as a "vertical composition". For any morphism <code>f:C1→C2</code> in <b>C</b>:
<pre>
φ[C2] ∘ H(f) ∘ η[C1] = φ[C2] ∘ H(f) ∘ η[C1]
A **monad** is a structure consisting of an (endo)functor `M` from some category <b>C</b> to itself, along with some natural transformations, which we'll specify in a moment.
-Let `T` be a set of natural transformations <code>φ</code>, each being between some (variable) functor `F` and another functor which is the composite `MF'` of `M` and a (variable) functor `F'`. That is, for each element `C1` in <b>C</b>, <code>φ</code> assigns `C1` a morphism from element `F(C1)` to element `MF'(C1)`, satisfying the constraints detailed in the previous section. For different members of `T`, the relevant functors may differ; that is, <code>φ</code> is a transformation from functor `F` to `MF'`, <code>γ</code> is a transformation from functor `G` to `MG'`, and none of `F`, `F'`, `G`, `G'` need be the same.
+Let `T` be a set of natural transformations <code>φ</code>, each being between some arbitrary endofunctor `F` on <b>C</b> and another functor which is the composite `MF'` of `M` and another arbitrary endofunctor `F'` on <b>C</b>. That is, for each element `C1` in <b>C</b>, <code>φ</code> assigns `C1` a morphism from element `F(C1)` to element `MF'(C1)`, satisfying the constraints detailed in the previous section. For different members of `T`, the relevant functors may differ; that is, <code>φ</code> is a transformation from functor `F` to `MF'`, <code>γ</code> is a transformation from functor `G` to `MG'`, and none of `F`, `F'`, `G`, `G'` need be the same.
-One of the members of `T` will be designated the "unit" transformation for `M`, and it will be a transformation from the identity functor `1C` for <b>C</b> to `M(1C)`. So it will assign to `C1` a morphism from `C1` to `M(C1)`.
+One of the members of `T` will be designated the `unit` transformation for `M`, and it will be a transformation from the identity functor `1C` for <b>C</b> to `M(1C)`. So it will assign to `C1` a morphism from `C1` to `M(C1)`.
-We also need to designate for `M` a "join" transformation, which is a natural transformation from the (composite) functor `MM` to `M`.
+We also need to designate for `M` a `join` transformation, which is a natural transformation from the (composite) functor `MM` to `M`.
These two natural transformations have to satisfy some constraints ("the monad laws") which are most easily stated if we can introduce a defined notion.
-Let <code>φ</code> and <code>γ</code> be members of `T`, that is they are natural transformations from `F` to `MF'` and from `G` to `MG'`, respectively. Let them be such that `F' = G`. Now <code>(M γ)</code> will also be a natural transformation, formed by composing the functor `M` with the natural transformation <code>γ</code>. Similarly, `(join G')` will be a natural transformation, formed by composing the natural transformation `join` with the functor `G'`; it will transform the functor `MMG'` to the functor `MG'`. Now take the vertical composition of the three natural transformations `(join G')`, <code>(M γ)</code>, and <code>φ</code>, and abbreviate it as follows:
+Let <code>φ</code> and <code>γ</code> be members of `T`, that is they are natural transformations from `F` to `MF'` and from `G` to `MG'`, respectively. Let them be such that `F' = G`. Now <code>(M γ)</code> will also be a natural transformation, formed by composing the functor `M` with the natural transformation <code>γ</code>. Similarly, `(join G')` will be a natural transformation, formed by composing the natural transformation `join` with the functor `G'`; it will transform the functor `MMG'` to the functor `MG'`. Now take the vertical composition of the three natural transformations `(join G')`, <code>(M γ)</code>, and <code>φ</code>, and abbreviate it as follows. Since composition is associative I don't specify the order of composition on the rhs.
<pre>
γ <=< φ =def. ((join G') -v- (M γ) -v- φ)
</pre>
-Since composition is associative I don't specify the order of composition on the rhs.
-
In other words, `<=<` is a binary operator that takes us from two members <code>φ</code> and <code>γ</code> of `T` to a composite natural transformation. (In functional programming, at least, this is called the "Kleisli composition operator". Sometimes it's written <code>φ >=> γ</code> where that's the same as <code>γ <=< φ</code>.)
<code>φ</code> is a transformation from `F` to `MF'`, where the latter = `MG`; <code>(M γ)</code> is a transformation from `MG` to `MMG'`; and `(join G')` is a transformation from `MMG'` to `MG'`. So the composite <code>γ <=< φ</code> will be a transformation from `F` to `MG'`, and so also eligible to be a member of `T`.
(T, <=<, unit) constitute a monoid
</pre>
-That's it. Well, there may be a wrinkle here. I don't know whether the definition of a monoid requires the operation to be defined for every pair in its set. In the present case, <code>γ <=< φ</code> isn't fully defined on `T`, but only when <code>φ</code> is a transformation to some `MF'` and <code>γ</code> is a transformation from `F'`. But wherever `<=<` is defined, the monoid laws are satisfied:
+That's it. Well, there may be a wrinkle here. I don't know whether the definition of a monoid requires the operation to be defined for every pair in its set. In the present case, <code>γ <=< φ</code> isn't fully defined on `T`, but only when <code>φ</code> is a transformation to some `MF'` and <code>γ</code> is a transformation from `F'`. But wherever `<=<` is defined, the monoid laws must hold:
<pre>
(i) γ <=< φ is also in T
(ii) (ρ <=< γ) <=< φ = ρ <=< (γ <=< φ)
- (iii.1) unit <=< φ = φ (here φ has to be a natural transformation to M(1C))
+ (iii.1) unit <=< φ = φ
+ (here φ has to be a natural transformation to M(1C))
- (iii.2) φ = φ <=< unit (here φ has to be a natural transformation from 1C)
+ (iii.2) ρ = ρ <=< unit
+ (here ρ has to be a natural transformation from 1C)
</pre>
-If <code>φ</code> is a natural transformation from `F` to `M(1C)` and <code>γ</code> is <code>(φ G')</code>, that is, a natural transformation from `FG` to `MG`, then we can extend (iii.1) as follows:
+If <code>φ</code> is a natural transformation from `F` to `M(1C)` and <code>γ</code> is <code>(φ G')</code>, that is, a natural transformation from `FG'` to `MG'`, then we can extend (iii.1) as follows:
<pre>
γ = (φ G')
= ((unit <=< φ) G')
- = ((join -v- (M unit) -v- φ) G')
- = (join G') -v- ((M unit) G') -v- (φ G')
- = (join G') -v- (M (unit G')) -v- γ
- ??
+ = (((join 1C) -v- (M unit) -v- φ) G')
+ = (((join 1C) G') -v- ((M unit) G') -v- (φ G'))
+ = ((join (1C G')) -v- (M (unit G')) -v- γ)
+ = ((join G') -v- (M (unit G')) -v- γ)
+ since (unit G') is a natural transformation to MG', this satisfies the definition for <=<:
= (unit G') <=< γ
</pre>
where as we said <code>γ</code> is a natural transformation from some `FG'` to `MG'`.
-Similarly, if <code>φ</code> is a natural transformation from `1C` to `MF'`, and <code>γ</code> is <code>(φ G)</code>, that is, a natural transformation from `G` to `MF'G`, then we can extend (iii.2) as follows:
+Similarly, if <code>ρ</code> is a natural transformation from `1C` to `MR'`, and <code>γ</code> is <code>(ρ G)</code>, that is, a natural transformation from `G` to `MR'G`, then we can extend (iii.2) as follows:
<pre>
- γ = (φ G)
- = ((φ <=< unit) G)
- = (((join F') -v- (M φ) -v- unit) G)
- = ((join F'G) -v- ((M φ) G) -v- (unit G))
- = ((join F'G) -v- (M (φ G)) -v- (unit G))
- ??
+ γ = (ρ G)
+ = ((ρ <=< unit) G)
+ = (((join R') -v- (M ρ) -v- unit) G)
+ = (((join R') G) -v- ((M ρ) G) -v- (unit G))
+ = ((join (R'G)) -v- (M (ρ G)) -v- (unit G))
+ since γ = (ρ G) is a natural transformation to MR'G, this satisfies the definition for <=<:
= γ <=< (unit G)
</pre>
-where as we said <code>γ</code> is a natural transformation from `G` to some `MF'G`.
+where as we said <code>γ</code> is a natural transformation from `G` to some `MR'G`.
Composing them:
<pre>
- (2) ((join MG') -v- (MM γ)) assigns to `C1` the morphism join[MG'(C1)] ∘ MM(γ*).
+ (2) ((join MG') -v- (MM γ)) assigns to C1 the morphism join[MG'(C1)] ∘ MM(γ*).
</pre>
Next, consider the composite transformation <code>((M γ) -v- (join G))</code>.