On the Existence of Pushouts of Realizability Toposes

Abstract

We consider two preorder-enriched categories of ordered PCAs: $\mathsf{OPCA}$, where the arrows are functional morphisms, and $\mathsf{PCA}$, where the arrows are applicative morphisms. We show that $\mathsf{OPCA}$ has small products and finite biproducts, and that $\mathsf{PCA}$ has finite coproducts, all in a suitable 2-categorical sense. On the other hand, $\mathsf{PCA}$ lacks all nontrivial binary products. We deduce from this that the pushout, over $\mathsf{Set}$, of two nontrivial realizability toposes is never a realizability topos.

19 pages; revised argument in Section 6, added remarks and references