

Category Theory Reading Lists - rfreytag
http://www.logicmatters.net/categories/

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thinkpad20
I'd add to this list Algebra, Chapter 0 by Aluffi. It's very clearly-written,
even for a total beginner like me, but not dumbed down at all, and has a
boatload of exercises which IMO is very helpful for learning the material.
While its focus is on algebra and not specifically a textbook on category
theory, it introduces categories very early on and, to me anyway, explains
them as well as or better than any other treatment I've read.

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psibi
How does it compare it with Pinter's Book of abstract algebra ? I have been
planning to settle on either one of them.

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unedjumacated
From Aluffi's text:

 _This text presents an introduction to algebra suitable for upper-level
undergraduate or beginning graduate courses._

 _In this text, categories are introduced around p. 20, after a scant reminder
of the basic language of naive set theory, for the main purpose of providing a
context for universal properties. These are in turn evoked constantly as basic
definitions are introduced. The word ‘universal’ appears at least 100 times in
the first three chapters._

That means Pinter's book is more elementary.

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tel
In my experience if you have or are willing to invest on the side to gain the
necessary abstract algebra background then MacLane's Categories for the
Working Mathematician is the go to source.

It is certainly "for the Working Mathematician", so don't make bones about
that, but to not include it in a reading list is criminal. If nothing else,
buy it and keep rereading it from the beginning as a barometer for how much
you're learning. As you penetrate it more and more you can judge that as
meteoric increase in understanding.

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fnord123
There is also Benjamin Pierce's Basic Category Theory for Computer Scientists:

[http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/basic-category-theory-
computer...](http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/basic-category-theory-computer-
scientists)

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dkarapetyan
This is way too much. You're better of grabbing "Category Theory (Oxford Logic
Guides)" by Steve Awodey and then augmenting it as necessary.

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jesuslop
Quite complete and interesting.

