Category theory; homological algebra Definition
Classifying topos
Builds on Grothendieck toposGeometric morphismEquivalence of categories
Definition
Let be a geometric theory. This is a first-order theory whose axioms are sequents between formulas built from finite conjunctions, arbitrary disjunctions and existential quantifiers. For a Grothendieck topos , let be the category of models of in . For Grothendieck toposes and , let be the category of geometric morphisms , and write for the inverse image part of . A classifying topos of is a Grothendieck topos together with a model of in it with the following property. For every Grothendieck topos the functor is an equivalence of categories. The model is called the generic model of .
Remarks
Example: let be the theory with one sort, no symbols and no axioms, so that a model of in is just an object of . The functor category , with the inclusion functor as generic model, is a classifying topos for ; it is called the object classifier. Non-example: is not a classifying topos for . For every Grothendieck topos there is, up to isomorphism, only one geometric morphism , while has in general many non-isomorphic objects. Every geometric theory has a classifying topos, and it is unique up to equivalence. For a discrete group , the topos of -sets classifies -torsors.
Reading path
To understand this page from the ground up, read these 4 pages in order. The foundations come first.
Show the path as a graph
- no evidence level
- Equivalence of categories concept
- Geometric morphism concept
- Grothendieck topos concept
- Classifying topos definition
Further reading
About this page
| Tag | YV297TR3SC |
|---|---|
| URI | m2://YV297TR3SC |
| Kind | definition |
| Writing | W0 stub |
| MSC | 18F10, 03G30, 18B25 |
| Defines | Classifying topos |
| Uses | Grothendieck topos, Geometric morphism, Equivalence of categories |
| Changed | 2 November 2026 |
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