We seek a unified account of modularity for computational effects. We begin by reformulating Moggi’s monadic paradigm for modelling computational effects using the notion of enriched Lawvere theory, together with its relationship with strong monads; this emphasises the importance of the operations that produce the effects. Effects qua theories are then combined by appropriate bifunctors on the category of theories. We give a theory for the sum of computational effects, which in particular yields Moggi’s exceptions monad transformer and an interactive input/output monad transformer. We further give a theory of the commutative combination of effects, their tensor, which yields Moggi’s side-effects monad transformer. Finally we give a theory of operation transformers, for redefining operations when adding new effects; we derive explicit forms for the operation transformers associated to the above monad transformers.

We give an axiomatic account of what structure on a category C and an endofunctor H on C yield similar structure on the category H0Coalg of H-coalgebras. We give conditions under which completeness, cocompleteness, symmetric monoidal closed structure, local presentability, and subobject classifiers lift. Our proof of the latter uses a general result about the existence of a subobject classifier in a category containing a small dense subcategory. Our leading example has C = Set with H the endofunctor for which a coalgebra is a finitely branching (labelled) transition system. We explain that example in detail. 1 Introduction Given an endofunctor H on the category Set, an H-coalgebra is a set X together with a function x : X 0! HX. A leading example of such an H is given by the functor P ! that takes a set X to the set of finite subsets of X , with the behaviour of H on maps given by direct image. An H-coalgebra is then a finitely branching transition system. A variant, is given by sta...

We define the notion of enriched Lawvere theory, for enrichment over a monoidal biclosed category V that is locally finitely presentable as a closed category. We prove that the category of enriched Lawvere theories is equivalent to the category of finitary monads on V. Morever, the V-category of models of a Lawvere V-theory is equivalent to the V-category of algebras for the corresponding V-monad. This all extends routinely to local presentability with respect to any regular cardinal. We finally consider the special case where V is Cat, and explain how the correspondence extends to pseudo maps of algebras.

Abstract not found

A category may bear many monoidal structures, but (to within a unique isomorphism) only one structure of "category with finite products". To capture such distinctions, we consider on a 2-category those 2-monads for which algebra structure is essentially unique if it exists, giving a precise mathematical definition of "essentially unique" and investigating its consequences. We call such 2-monads property-like. We further consider the more restricted class of fully property-like 2-monads, consisting of those property-like 2-monads for which all 2-cells between (even lax) algebra morphisms are algebra 2-cells. The consideration of lax morphisms leads us to a new characterization of those monads, studied by Kock and Zoberlein, for which "structure is adjoint to unit", and which we now call lax-idempotent 2-monads: both these and their colax-idempotent duals are fully property-like. We end by showing that (at least for finitary 2-monads) the classes of property-likes, fully property-like...

The paper is in essence a survey of categories having φ-weighted colimits for all the weights φ in some class Φ. We introduce the class Φ + of Φ-flat weights which are those ψ for which ψ-colimits commute in the base V with limits having weights in Φ; and the class Φ − of Φ-atomic weights, which are those ψ for which ψ-limits commute in the base V with colimits having weights in Φ. We show that both these classes are saturated (that is, what was called closed in the terminology of [AK88]). We prove that for the class P of all weights, the classes P + and P − both coincide with the class Q of absolute weights. For any class Φ and any category A, we have the free Φ-cocompletion Φ(A) of A; and we recognize Q(A) as the Cauchy-completion of A. We study the equivalence between (Q(A op)) op and Q(A), which we exhibit as the restriction of the Isbell adjunction between [A, V] op and [A op, V] when A is small; and we give a new Morita theorem for any class Φ containing Q. We end with the study of Φ-continuous weights and their relation to the Φ-flat weights. 1

We consider the natural combinations of algebraic computational effects such as side-effects, exceptions, interactive input/output, and nondeterminism with continuations. Continuations are not an algebraic effect, but previously developed combinations of algebraic effects given by sum and tensor extend, with effort, to include commonly used combinations of the various algebraic effects with continuations. Continuations also give rise to a third sort of combination, that given by applying the continuations monad transformer to an algebraic effect. We investigate the extent to which sum and tensor extend from algebraic effects to arbitrary monads, and the extent to which Felleisen et al.’s C operator extends from continuations to its combination with algebraic effects. To do all this, we use Dubuc’s characterisation of strong monads in terms of enriched large Lawvere theories.

Lawvere theories and monads have been the two main category theoretic formulations of universal algebra, Lawvere theories arising in 1963 and the connection with monads being established a few years later. Monads, although mathematically the less direct and less malleable formulation, rapidly gained precedence. A generation later, the definition of monad began to appear extensively in theoretical computer science in order to model computational effects, without reference to universal algebra. But since then, the relevance of universal algebra to computational effects has been recognised, leading to renewed prominence of the notion of Lawvere theory, now in a computational setting. This development has formed a major part of Gordon Plotkin’s mature work, and we study its history here, in particular asking why Lawvere theories were eclipsed by monads in the 1960’s, and how the renewed interest in them in a computer science setting might develop in future.

A Freyd-category is a subtle generalisation of the notion of a category with finite products. It is suitable for modelling environments in call-by-value programming languages, such as the computational λ-calculus, with computational effects. We develop the theory of Freyd-categories with that in mind. We first show that any countable Lawvere theory, hence any signature of operations with countable arity subject to equations, directly generates a Freyd-category. We then give canonical, universal embeddings of Freyd-categories into closed Freyd-categories, characterised by being free cocompletions. The combination of the two constructions sends a signature of operations and equations to the Kleisli category for the monad on the category Set generated by it, thus refining the analysis of computational effects given by monads. That in turn allows a more structural analysis of the λc-calculus. Our leading examples of signatures arise from side-effects, interactive input/output and exceptions. We extend our analysis to an enriched setting in order to account for recursion and for computational effects and signatures that inherently involve it, such as partiality, nondeterminism and probabilistic nondeterminism. Key words: Freyd-category, enriched Yoneda embedding, conical colimit completion, canonical model

Abstract. This paper is a rather informal guide to some of the basic theory of 2-categories and bicategories, including notions of limit and colimit, 2-dimensional universal algebra, formal category theory, and nerves of bicategories. 1. Overview and basic examples This paper is a rather informal guide to some of the basic theory of 2-categories and bicategories, including notions of limit and colimit, 2-dimensional universal algebra, formal category theory, and nerves of bicategories. As is the way of these things, the choice of topics is somewhat personal. No attempt is made at either rigour or completeness. Nor is it completely introductory: you will not find a definition of bicategory; but then nor will you really need one to read it. In keeping with the philosophy of category theory, the morphisms between bicategories play more of a role than the bicategories themselves. 1.1. The key players. There are bicategories, 2-categories, and Cat-categories. The latter two are exactly the same (except that strictly speaking a Cat-category should have small hom-categories, but that need not concern us here). The first two are nominally different — the 2-categories are the strict bicategories, and not every bicategory is strict — but every bicategory is biequivalent to a strict one, and biequivalence is the right general notion of equivalence for bicategories and for 2-categories. Nonetheless, the theories of bicategories, 2-categories, and Catcategories have rather different flavours.