A structure theorem for dismantlable lattices and enumeration (Q1410433): Difference between revisions

A finite lattice \(L\) on \(n\) elements is dismantlable if and only if there exists a chain \(L_1\subset L_2\subset\cdots\subset L_n=L\) of sublattices of \(L\) such that \(|L_i|=i\) for all \(i\). These lattices were introduced by \textit{I. Rival} [Can. Math. Bull. 17, 91-95 (1974; Zbl 0293.06003)]. In this paper the authors introduce the concept of an adjunct of chains, a lattice that can be obtained from a chain by successively gluing in a chain between two elements already there. They show that a finite lattice is dismantlable if and only if it is an adjunct of chains. They use this to show that dismantlable lattices have a small number of edges (cover relations), that is, if \(n\) is the number of elements of the lattice, then the number of edges is between \(n-1\) and \(2n-4\). The join-irreducible and meet-irreducible elements of a dismantlable lattice are described in terms of any representation as an adjunct of chains. Formulas are given for the number of nonisomorphic lattices with exactly two reducible elements and for the number of nonisomorphic lattices with \(n\) elements and at most \(n+1\) edges. Modular and distributive lattices with few edges are also counted.