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The notion of semi-abelian category as proposed in this paper is designed to capture typical algebraic properties valid for groups, rings and algebras, say, just as abelian categories allow for a generalized treatment of abelian-group and module theory. In modern terms, semi-abelian categories are exact in the sense of Barr and protomodular in the sense of Bourn and have finite coproducts and a zero object. We show how these conditions relate to "old" exactness axioms involving normal monomorphisms and epimorphisms, as used in the fifties and sixties, and we give extensive references to the literature in order to indicate why semi-abelian categories provide an appropriate notion to establish the isomorphism and decomposition theorems of group theory, to pursue general radical theory of rings, and how to arrive at basic statements as needed in homological algebra of groups and similar non-abelian structures. Mathematics Subject Classification: 18E10, 18A30, 18A32. Key words:...

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The first author gratefully acknowledges the support he has received from the NSERC of Canada for the last thirty seven years. Received by the editors 2005-03-01. Transmitted by F. W. Lawvere, W. Tholen and R.J. Wood. Reprint published on 2005-06-15.