Constructing Initial Algebras Using Inflationary Iteration

Andrew M. Pitts
(University of Cambridge)
S. C. Steenkamp
(University of Cambridge)

An old theorem of Adámek constructs initial algebras for sufficiently cocontinuous endofunctors via transfinite iteration over ordinals in classical set theory. We prove a new version that works in constructive logic, using "inflationary" iteration over a notion of size that abstracts from limit ordinals just their transitive, directed and well-founded properties. Borrowing from Taylor's constructive treatment of ordinals, we show that sizes exist with upper bounds for any given signature of indexes. From this it follows that there is a rich class of endofunctors to which the new theorem applies, provided one admits a weak form of choice (WISC) due to Streicher, Moerdijk, van den Berg and Palmgren, and which is known to hold in the internal constructive logic of many kinds of topos.

In Kohei Kishida: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Applied Category Theory (ACT 2021), Cambridge, United Kingdom, 12-16th July 2021, Electronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science 372, pp. 88–102.
Published: 3rd November 2022.

ArXived at: https://dx.doi.org/10.4204/EPTCS.372.7 bibtex PDF
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