TITLE: Forgetful Functors Create Limits
QUESTION [6 upvotes]: I'm working on the following problem but I can't seem to make any headway.
A widget is a set $A$ with elements $0,1 \in A$, a ternary operation $[-,-,-]: A^3 \to A$, and for each rational number $\lambda$, a unary operation $\lambda\cdot - : A \to A$ satsifying the axioms

$[a,0,b]=[3b/4,a/4,1]$
$[[a,b,a],c,a] = 0$
$\lambda\cdot (\mu\cdot a) = (\lambda\mu)\cdot a$
$(\lambda+\mu)\cdot a = [\lambda\cdot a,\mu \cdot a, (5-\mu)\cdot a]$

for all $a,b,c \in A$ and rational $\lambda,\mu$. If Widget is the category of widgets and their homomorphisms. Then show the forgetful functor $U: \mathbf{Widget} \to \mathbf{Set}$ creates limits.
I realize the algebraic structure of widgets in this case are incidental and such a proof should be equally applicable to the category of rings, groups, modules, etc. However given a limit $(L, \lambda_j: L \rightarrow UD(j))$ where $D: \mathcal{J} \to \mathbf{Widget}$ is a diagram. I don't know how to find a widget (or group or ring) M such that $U(M) \cong L$ nor do I know how to find pre-images of the legs of the cone with summit $L$ under the functor U, such that M forms a cone in $\mathbf{Widget}$.

REPLY [3 votes]: Let $\mathcal A$ be the category of some given (equationally defined) algebraic structures and their homomorphisms. Then consider the bigger category $\mathcal U$ connecting $\mathcal{Set}$ to $\mathcal A$ via the underlying functor $U:\mathcal A\to\mathcal{Set}$, that is, $\mathcal U$ contains the disjoint union of $\mathcal{Set}$ and $\mathcal A$ as full subcategories and (so called) $S\dashrightarrow A$ heteromorphisms from objects $S$ in $\mathcal{Set}$ to objects $A$ in $\mathcal A$, as functions $S\to UA$. (This is basically a view of the profunctor $U^*:\mathcal{Set}^{op}\times\mathcal A\to\mathcal{Set}:\ \langle S,A\rangle\mapsto \mathcal{Set}(S,UA) $.)
Now, by definition, $\mathcal{Set}$ is a coreflective subcategory of $\mathcal U$, meaning that each $A$ has a coreflection arrow $UA\dashrightarrow A$ (namely $1_{UA}$). By construction of free algebras, we can see that, in addition, $\mathcal A$ is a reflective subcategory of $\mathcal U$ (the reflection is given by the free algebra functor, the left adjoint of $U$). Using this latter fact one can easily show that limits in $\mathcal A$ are actually limits in $\mathcal U$.
Finally, let $\mathcal D$ be a diagram in $\mathcal A$ with limit object $L$, and let $S\leadsto U\mathcal D$ be a cone over $U\mathcal D$ in $\mathcal{Set}$. Connect $UX\dashrightarrow X$ by the coreflection arrows for each object of $X$ of $\mathcal D$. Then, as $L$ is the limit of $\mathcal D$ within $\mathcal U$, we have a unique $S\to L$ by the limit property, and this leads to a unique $S\to UL$ by the coreflection property.