The category of abelian groups Ab\mathbf{Ab} has as objects and additive maps f:A→Bf:A\to B, satisfying f(x+y)=f(x)+f(y)f(x+y)=f(x)+f(y), as morphisms. Identities and composition are ordinary functions. Equivalently it is the of on the abelian groups.

Convention and comparison

A ring or determines such an object only after its additive group has been specified. Its multiplicative is a different object and often has a different carrier.