6 Mar
2007
6 Mar
'07
9:19 a.m.
In category theory, one is reminded of the hot debate of triples vs monads of the 60s and 70s. I guess that at the time of the "Zurich triple book" (SLNM 80) most people would have predicted that triples had already won the race. Mac Lane's book CWM appeared only 2 or 3 years later, after a vast amount of literature on triples. But he consistently used the meaningful name monad, even though (as far as I know) he had never directly published on the subject. You be the judge who won!
Walter Tholen.
"after a vast amount of literature on triples" you should recall that also after a vast amount of literature on monads e.d.