We investigate how to characterize subcategories of abelian categories in terms of intrinsic axioms. In particular, we find intrinsic axioms which characterize generating cogenerating functorially finite subcategories, precluster tilting subcategories, and cluster tilting subcategories of abelian categories. As a consequence we prove that any $d$-abelian category is equivalent to a $d$-cluster tilting subcategory of an abelian category, without any assumption on the categories being projectively generated.
Categories: math.RT math.CT