The Combinatorics of Polynomial Functors

We propose a new description of Endofunctors of Module Categories, based upon a combinatorial category comprising finite sets and so-called mazes. Polynomial and numerical functors both find a natural interpretation in this frame-work. Since strict polynomial functors, according to the work of Salomonsson, are encoded by multi-sets, the two strains of functors may be compared and contrasted through juxtaposing the respective combinatorial structures, leading to the Polynomial Functor Theorem, giving an effective criterion for when a numerical (polynomial) functor is strict polynomial

Polynomial Functors of Modules

We introduce the notion of numerical functors to generalise Eilenberg & MacLane's polynomial functors to modules over a binomial base ring. After shewing how these functors are encoded by modules over a certain ring, we record a precise criterion for a numerical (or polynomial) functor to admit a strict polynomial structure in the sense of Friedlander & Suslin. We also provide several characterisations of analytic functors