Why is a categorical product in Top uniquely equal to the product topology?











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My question is NOT “why does the product topology satisfy the conditions of a categorical product in Top”.



Rather, my question is, why does it do so uniquely? I don’t require necessarily a fully rigorous proof, but an conceptual understanding.



My guess is: If we take the cartesian product between two topological spaces $X,Y$, but we endow this product with a trivial topology ${emptyset, Xtimes Y}$, then this also satisfies the categorical product conditions:
For any topological space $Z$ and continuous functions $f:Zto X, g:Zto Y$, there is a unique function $h=ftimes g:Zto Xtimes Y$. We don’t need to put any more conditions on the topology of $Xtimes Y$ for $h$ to be unique. (This is essentially because the cartesian product $Xtimes Y$ is already “set-theoretically restricted” enough to ensure uniqueness of $h$). Therefore, we can put any topology on $Xtimes Y$, so long as it makes $h$ unique for all such $(Z,f,g)$. One topology that does this is the product topology, but another one that does it is the topology ${emptyset,Xtimes Y }$.



What’s wrong with my argument?



EDIT: I Immediately realized that while this topology gets you a continuous $h$, it doesn’t get you continuous projections $pi_X,pi_Y$...










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  • So basically you answered the question yourself. So what else do you need?
    – freakish
    Nov 21 at 12:25








  • 2




    @freakish, yes you’re right, lol. What should I do? Delete the question? What’s the standard practice?
    – user56834
    Nov 21 at 12:26






  • 1




    I guess deleting the question is fine.
    – freakish
    Nov 21 at 12:27






  • 3




    The general answer is that products are always determined up to isomorphism in their category.
    – Kevin Carlson
    Nov 21 at 15:54






  • 1




    More generally, limits are unique up to isomorphism, where they exist, and the product is an example of a limit. I second @MusaAl-hassy: you shouldn't delete the question, as it may be useful when others search similar questions. Instead, you can add an answer yourself to this!
    – B. Mehta
    Nov 22 at 17:12















up vote
-1
down vote

favorite












My question is NOT “why does the product topology satisfy the conditions of a categorical product in Top”.



Rather, my question is, why does it do so uniquely? I don’t require necessarily a fully rigorous proof, but an conceptual understanding.



My guess is: If we take the cartesian product between two topological spaces $X,Y$, but we endow this product with a trivial topology ${emptyset, Xtimes Y}$, then this also satisfies the categorical product conditions:
For any topological space $Z$ and continuous functions $f:Zto X, g:Zto Y$, there is a unique function $h=ftimes g:Zto Xtimes Y$. We don’t need to put any more conditions on the topology of $Xtimes Y$ for $h$ to be unique. (This is essentially because the cartesian product $Xtimes Y$ is already “set-theoretically restricted” enough to ensure uniqueness of $h$). Therefore, we can put any topology on $Xtimes Y$, so long as it makes $h$ unique for all such $(Z,f,g)$. One topology that does this is the product topology, but another one that does it is the topology ${emptyset,Xtimes Y }$.



What’s wrong with my argument?



EDIT: I Immediately realized that while this topology gets you a continuous $h$, it doesn’t get you continuous projections $pi_X,pi_Y$...










share|cite|improve this question






















  • So basically you answered the question yourself. So what else do you need?
    – freakish
    Nov 21 at 12:25








  • 2




    @freakish, yes you’re right, lol. What should I do? Delete the question? What’s the standard practice?
    – user56834
    Nov 21 at 12:26






  • 1




    I guess deleting the question is fine.
    – freakish
    Nov 21 at 12:27






  • 3




    The general answer is that products are always determined up to isomorphism in their category.
    – Kevin Carlson
    Nov 21 at 15:54






  • 1




    More generally, limits are unique up to isomorphism, where they exist, and the product is an example of a limit. I second @MusaAl-hassy: you shouldn't delete the question, as it may be useful when others search similar questions. Instead, you can add an answer yourself to this!
    – B. Mehta
    Nov 22 at 17:12













up vote
-1
down vote

favorite









up vote
-1
down vote

favorite











My question is NOT “why does the product topology satisfy the conditions of a categorical product in Top”.



Rather, my question is, why does it do so uniquely? I don’t require necessarily a fully rigorous proof, but an conceptual understanding.



My guess is: If we take the cartesian product between two topological spaces $X,Y$, but we endow this product with a trivial topology ${emptyset, Xtimes Y}$, then this also satisfies the categorical product conditions:
For any topological space $Z$ and continuous functions $f:Zto X, g:Zto Y$, there is a unique function $h=ftimes g:Zto Xtimes Y$. We don’t need to put any more conditions on the topology of $Xtimes Y$ for $h$ to be unique. (This is essentially because the cartesian product $Xtimes Y$ is already “set-theoretically restricted” enough to ensure uniqueness of $h$). Therefore, we can put any topology on $Xtimes Y$, so long as it makes $h$ unique for all such $(Z,f,g)$. One topology that does this is the product topology, but another one that does it is the topology ${emptyset,Xtimes Y }$.



What’s wrong with my argument?



EDIT: I Immediately realized that while this topology gets you a continuous $h$, it doesn’t get you continuous projections $pi_X,pi_Y$...










share|cite|improve this question













My question is NOT “why does the product topology satisfy the conditions of a categorical product in Top”.



Rather, my question is, why does it do so uniquely? I don’t require necessarily a fully rigorous proof, but an conceptual understanding.



My guess is: If we take the cartesian product between two topological spaces $X,Y$, but we endow this product with a trivial topology ${emptyset, Xtimes Y}$, then this also satisfies the categorical product conditions:
For any topological space $Z$ and continuous functions $f:Zto X, g:Zto Y$, there is a unique function $h=ftimes g:Zto Xtimes Y$. We don’t need to put any more conditions on the topology of $Xtimes Y$ for $h$ to be unique. (This is essentially because the cartesian product $Xtimes Y$ is already “set-theoretically restricted” enough to ensure uniqueness of $h$). Therefore, we can put any topology on $Xtimes Y$, so long as it makes $h$ unique for all such $(Z,f,g)$. One topology that does this is the product topology, but another one that does it is the topology ${emptyset,Xtimes Y }$.



What’s wrong with my argument?



EDIT: I Immediately realized that while this topology gets you a continuous $h$, it doesn’t get you continuous projections $pi_X,pi_Y$...







general-topology category-theory






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asked Nov 21 at 12:21









user56834

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3,13821149












  • So basically you answered the question yourself. So what else do you need?
    – freakish
    Nov 21 at 12:25








  • 2




    @freakish, yes you’re right, lol. What should I do? Delete the question? What’s the standard practice?
    – user56834
    Nov 21 at 12:26






  • 1




    I guess deleting the question is fine.
    – freakish
    Nov 21 at 12:27






  • 3




    The general answer is that products are always determined up to isomorphism in their category.
    – Kevin Carlson
    Nov 21 at 15:54






  • 1




    More generally, limits are unique up to isomorphism, where they exist, and the product is an example of a limit. I second @MusaAl-hassy: you shouldn't delete the question, as it may be useful when others search similar questions. Instead, you can add an answer yourself to this!
    – B. Mehta
    Nov 22 at 17:12


















  • So basically you answered the question yourself. So what else do you need?
    – freakish
    Nov 21 at 12:25








  • 2




    @freakish, yes you’re right, lol. What should I do? Delete the question? What’s the standard practice?
    – user56834
    Nov 21 at 12:26






  • 1




    I guess deleting the question is fine.
    – freakish
    Nov 21 at 12:27






  • 3




    The general answer is that products are always determined up to isomorphism in their category.
    – Kevin Carlson
    Nov 21 at 15:54






  • 1




    More generally, limits are unique up to isomorphism, where they exist, and the product is an example of a limit. I second @MusaAl-hassy: you shouldn't delete the question, as it may be useful when others search similar questions. Instead, you can add an answer yourself to this!
    – B. Mehta
    Nov 22 at 17:12
















So basically you answered the question yourself. So what else do you need?
– freakish
Nov 21 at 12:25






So basically you answered the question yourself. So what else do you need?
– freakish
Nov 21 at 12:25






2




2




@freakish, yes you’re right, lol. What should I do? Delete the question? What’s the standard practice?
– user56834
Nov 21 at 12:26




@freakish, yes you’re right, lol. What should I do? Delete the question? What’s the standard practice?
– user56834
Nov 21 at 12:26




1




1




I guess deleting the question is fine.
– freakish
Nov 21 at 12:27




I guess deleting the question is fine.
– freakish
Nov 21 at 12:27




3




3




The general answer is that products are always determined up to isomorphism in their category.
– Kevin Carlson
Nov 21 at 15:54




The general answer is that products are always determined up to isomorphism in their category.
– Kevin Carlson
Nov 21 at 15:54




1




1




More generally, limits are unique up to isomorphism, where they exist, and the product is an example of a limit. I second @MusaAl-hassy: you shouldn't delete the question, as it may be useful when others search similar questions. Instead, you can add an answer yourself to this!
– B. Mehta
Nov 22 at 17:12




More generally, limits are unique up to isomorphism, where they exist, and the product is an example of a limit. I second @MusaAl-hassy: you shouldn't delete the question, as it may be useful when others search similar questions. Instead, you can add an answer yourself to this!
– B. Mehta
Nov 22 at 17:12















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