How to visualize limits in category theory?

From: Jose Capco (nospam_at_nospam.org)
Date: 12/14/04 

Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 13:38:36 +0100

Dear NG,

I have previously asked the newsgroup about a very simple way of
defining a complete category and there was a person who gave me a very
nice definition.. that it has limit for all small diagram. I understand
that perfectly but I cannot visualize it like I would like to visualize
limits say in analysis. Is there really no way of visualizing
categorical limits?

In the book I am reading (and I hate to say it, but I am not finding it
to my liking!) I keep on reading about complete category this, complete
category that (not to mention well-poweredness, cowell-powerdness and
cocompletness).. makes me crazy. Simple algebraic stuffs being proven by
category theory is just not my style. And worst is, my supervisor keeps
telling me that it is really required for me to read the book and be
able to comfortably work with categories (I don't very much get it, we
work on algebraic geometry and I have never expected that I had to do so
much of category theory.).

Sincerely,
Jose Capco

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