Varieties of Quantitative or Continuous Algebras (Extended Abstract)

Abstract

Quantitative algebras are algebras enriched in the category $\mathsf{Met}$ of metric spaces so that all operations are nonexpanding. Mardare, Plotkin and Panangaden introduced varieties (aka $1$-basic varieties) as classes of quantitative algebras presented by quantitative equations. We prove that they bijectively correspond to strongly finitary monads $T$ on $\mathsf{Met}$. This means that $T$ is the Kan extension of its restriction to finite discrete spaces. An analogous result holds in the category $\mathsf{CMet}$ of complete metric spaces. Analogously, continuous algebras are algebras enriched in $\mathsf{CPO}$, the category of $\omega$-cpos, so that all operations are continuous. We introduce equations between extended terms, and prove that varieties (classes presented by such equations) correspond bijectively to strongly finitary monads $T$ on $\mathsf{CPO}$. This means that $T$ is the Kan extension of its restriction to finite discrete cpos. (The two results have substantially different proofs.) An analogous result is also presented for monads on $\mathsf{DCPO}$. We also characterize strong finitarity in all the categories above by preservations of certain weighted colimits. As a byproduct we prove that directed colimits commute with finite products in all cartesian closed categories.