Textbook

All readings and assignments are from the textbook, which is available online:

Spivak, David I. This resource may not render correctly in a screen reader.Category Theory for Scientists (PDF - 4.2MB), 2013.

To leave comments or questions about the book, go to CT4S suggestions.

This resource may not render correctly in a screen reader.1 Introduction (PDF)

1.1 A brief history of category theory

1.2 Intention of this book

1.3 What is requested from the student

1.4 Category theory references

1.5 Acknowledgments

This resource may not render correctly in a screen reader.2 The category of sets (PDF)

2.1 Sets and functions

2.2 Commutative diagrams

2.3 Ologs

2.4 Products and coproducts

2.5 Finite limits in Set

2.6 Finite colimits in Set

2.7 Other notions in Set

This resource may not render correctly in a screen reader.3 Categories and functors, without admitting it (PDF)

3.1 Monoids

3.2 Groups

3.3 Graphs

3.4 Orders

3.5 Databases: schemas and instances

This resource may not render correctly in a screen reader.4 Basic category theory (PDF - 1.5MB)

4.1 Categories and Functors

4.2 Categories and functors commonly arising in mathematics

4.3 Natural transformations

4.4 Categories and schemas are equivalent, Cat ~ Sch

4.5 Limits and colimits

4.6 Other notions in Cat

This resource may not render correctly in a screen reader.5 Categories at work (PDF - 2.6MB)

5.1 Adjoint functors

5.2 Categories of functors

5.3 Monads

5.4 Operads