Categorically-algebraic topology and its applications

Abstract

This paper introduces a new approach to topology, based on category theory and universal algebra, and called categorically-algebraic (catalg) topology. It incorporates the most important settings of lattice-valued topology, including poslat topology of S.~E.~Rodabaugh, $(L,M)$-fuzzy topology of T.~Kubiak and A.~v{S}ostak, and $M$-fuzzy topology on $L$-fuzzy sets of C.~Guido. Moreover, its respective categories of topological structures are topological over their ground categories. The theory also extends the notion of topological system of S.~Vickers (and its numerous many-valued modifications of J.~T.~Denniston, A.~Melton and S.~E.~Rodabaugh), and shows that the categories of catalg topological structures are isomorphic to coreflective subcategories of the categories of catalg topological systems. This extension initiates a new approach to soft topology, induced by the concept of soft set of D.~Molodtsov, and currently pursued by various researchers.