Yoneda representations of flat functors and classifying toposes

Abstract

In this paper, we first introduce a technique that we call "Yoneda representation of flat functors", based on ideas from indexed category theory; then we provide applications of this technique to the theory of classifying toposes. Specifically, we obtain results characterizing the models of a theory classified by a topos of the form Sh(C,J) in terms of the models of a theory classified by the topos [C^op, Set].