Projective cover

In the branch of abstract mathematics called category theory, a projective cover of an object X is in a sense the best approximation of X by a projective object P. Projective covers are the dual of injective envelopes.

Definition

Let be a category and X an object in . A projective cover is a pair (P,p), with P a projective object in and p a superfluous epimorphism in Hom(P, X).

If R is a ring, then in the category of R-modules, a superfluous epimorphism is then an epimorphism such that the kernel of p is a superfluous submodule of P.

Properties

Projective covers and their superfluous epimorphisms, when they exist, are unique up to isomorphism. The isomorphism need not be unique, however, since the projective property is not a full fledged universal property.

The main effect of p having a superfluous kernel is the following: if N is any proper submodule of P, then . Informally speaking, this shows the superfluous kernel causes P to cover M optimally, that is, no submodule of P would suffice. This does not depend upon the projectivity of P: it is true of all superfluous epimorphisms.