Initial and terminal objects

In category theory, a branch of mathematics, an initial object of a category C is an object I in C such that for every object X in C, there exists precisely one morphism I → X.

The dual notion is that of a terminal object (also called terminal element): T is terminal if for every object X in C there exists a single morphism X → T. Initial objects are also called coterminal or universal, and terminal objects are also called final.

If an object is both initial and terminal, it is called a zero object or null object. A pointed category is one with a zero object.

A strict initial object I is one for which every morphism into I is an isomorphism.

Examples

Zero object (algebra)

In algebra, the zero object of a given algebraic structure is, in the sense explained below, the simplest object of such structure. As a set it is a singleton, and as a magma has a trivial structure, which is also an abelian group. The aforementioned abelian group structure is usually identified as addition, and the only element is called zero, so the object itself is typically denoted as {0}. One often refers to the trivial object (of a specified category) since every trivial object is isomorphic to any other (under a unique isomorphism).

Instances of the zero object include, but are not limited to the following:

These objects are described jointly not only based on the common singleton and trivial group structure, but also because of shared category-theoretical properties.