Definition:Order Category

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Definition

Definition 1

Let $\struct {S, \preceq}$ be an ordered set.


One can interpret $\struct {S, \preceq}$ as being a category, with:

Objects:         The elements of $S$
Morphisms: Precisely one morphism $a \to b$ for every $a, b \in S$ with $a \preceq b$

More formally, we let the morphisms be the elements of the relation ${\preceq} \subseteq S \times S$.

Thus, $a \to b$ in fact denotes the ordered pair $\tuple {a, b}$.


The category that so arises is called an order category.


Definition 2

Let $\mathbf C$ be a metacategory.


Then $\mathbf C$ is an order category if and only if:

For all objects $C, C'$ of $\mathbf C$, there is at most one morphism $f: C \to C'$
Whenever $f: C \to C'$ is an isomorphism, $C = C'$

Thus, an order category is a skeletal preorder category.


Also known as

In sources which address ordered sets as posets, such a category is usually named poset category.


Also see

  • Results about order categories can be found here.