[TwentyPosts]

How much of a background do your have in abstract algebra? I don't think category theory makes much sense or is very satisfying unless you can already list a bunch of categories you interact with regularly, and have results which can be expressed in terms of categories.

[khazhoux]

I'm fairly well-versed in AA, linear alg, topology, a few others. I got zero satisfaction from CT.

What would be the first interesting (if even mildly insightful) result in CT? I'll pull out my books and take a look...

[xanderlewis]

If you’re looking for ‘something you can only prove using category theory’, you’ll probably not be able to find much. If you’re looking for ‘something commonly proven using category theory, whose proof without invoking such theory is much less elegant and general’, you’ll find plenty in any area of mathematics that uses category theory.

There’s a whole section of Emily Riehl’s book Category Theory In Context on ‘theorems in category theory’ (since it’s famously said that there are none — you’re certainly not the first to level such an accusation!).

[cryptonector]

See my other reply. It makes some things way easier in real-world programs (and libraries).