Reddit reviews Basic Category Theory for Computer Scientists (Foundations of Computing)

Basic Category Theory for Computer Scientists?

Which mathematicians think Category Theory is gobbledygook?

I'm hardly an expert, but after many false starts, I finally worked my way through Basic Category Theory for Computer Scientists. Unlike nielsadb, I found it to be pretty interesting once I got past the initial steep learning curve.

In retrospect, the most challenging aspect was simply that CT is quite different from other disciplines I've studied (even other mathematical ones), and so I didn't even know the right questions to ask. I can recall two specific examples:

First, I found that just vaguely understanding the definitions was not sufficient. I had to force myself to work through the exercises in order to develop the needed intuition for quickly recalling not just the definitions, but the implications of each definition.

Second, it was important to clearly distinguish the domain of discourse (e.g. a generic category, SET treated as a category, etc.). Until I had grasped this, I was often baffled by the author's choice of example, and couldn't grasp the distinctions the author seemed to be making.

If you're truly interested I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have (PM me). I'm hardly an expert, but I know that I could have really used a mentor while attempting to work through the exercises. :)I even went as far as to e-mail Dr. Pierce. Also, if you pick up the book, you can occasionally find solutions for the exercises on the net.

Thanks for replying. I take it you're talking about this? http://www.amazon.com/Category-Computer-Scientists-Foundations-Computing/dp/0262660717

If you want to learn category theory then there are two books I recommend : An Introduction to Category Theory and Basic Category Theory for Computer Scientists (Foundations of Computing). Both are very straightforward and full of concrete examples.

How about category theory? Since you like programming, maybe have a look at Pierce's Basic Category Theory for Computer Scientists.

Don't forget Basic Category Theory for Computer Scientists also by Pierce!

I recommend Conceptual Mathematics: A First Introduction to Categories followed by Basic Category Theory for Computer Scientists. From there you can move on to more advanced and/or specialized texts.

Except that Mac Lane is only good if you are, indeed, a working mathematician.

A good introduction is Pierce, though it doesn't get into gritty details. For some of the grittier details, and for those on a budget, Adámek is freely available and is a good reference. However it definitely requires active reading and working through the examples, not just sitting down with a hot beverage.

Once you have the basics down, Google is your friend. A lot of folks in the Haskell community have blogs talking about various things.