Universal property (category theory)

In category theory, a universal property is a one that defines some mathematical construction up to isomorphism. The integrity of the "up to isomorphism" clause is intrinsic to the property itself: if a universal property holds for some object x, it must also hold for every object isomorphic to xcitation needed. Universal properties are useful because they define an object independently from any particular method of construction — i.e., declaratively.

References