Extreme \(k\)-families (Q1345523)

Given a poset \(P\), a \(k\)-family \(A\) is a subposet containing no \((k+ 1)\)- element chains (i.e., \(A\) is of height at most \(k\)) which can be written \(A_ 1\cup\cdots\cup A_ k\), where \(A_{i+ 1}\) is the set of minimal elements of \(A\backslash(A_ 1\cup\cdots \cup A_ i)\). The collection \(A_ k\) of \(k\)-families is a lattice via \(A\vee B= \bigvee^ k_{i= 1} (A_ i\vee B_ i)\), with \(A_ i\vee B_ i\) consisting of the maximal elements of \(A_ i\cup B_ i\) and \((A\vee B)_ i\). \(A_ 1\) is the collection of antichains and \(A_ k\) is a generalization as well as an extension of \(A_ 1\). Many theorems for antichains have natural extensions to \(k\)-families. The study of \(k\)-families for the family of all subsets of an \(n\)-set is not a new subject. Nevertheless, in proceeding towards extension of the theory to general posets there remains work to be done as indicated by the results obtained in this informative paper. A minimal \(r\)-element \(k\)-family \(A\) has \(| A |= r\) and for every \(B< A\), \(| B|< r\), where \(B\leq A\) provided for all \(i\), \(B_ i\) is contained in the (order) ideal generated by \(A_ i\). If \(M_{k,r}\) is the set of minimal \(r\)-element \(k\)-families, with \(M_ k= \bigcup^{w_ k}_{r= 0} M_{k,r}\), where \(W_ k\) is the maximum size (if it is finite) of a \(k\)-family (\(M_{k,w_ k}\) consists of the Sperner \(k\)-families), then \(| M_{k,r}|\leq (\begin{smallmatrix} w_ k\\ r\end{smallmatrix})\) (is the best possible bound), while \[ | M_ k|= \Bigl| \bigcup M_ k\Bigr|\leq \sum^{w_ k}_{i= 1} \left\lceil{i\over k}\right\rceil \] is also best possible, the union \(\bigcup M_ k\) being element of \(P\) contained in at least one minimal \(r\)-element \(k\)-family, and \[ \sum^{w_ k}_{r= 0} (\begin{smallmatrix} w_ k\\ r\end{smallmatrix}) r= W_ k 2^{w_ k- 1} \] is also equal to \(| M_ k|\). Along with the list counts and several other results the author establishes that \(M_ k\) is a join-subsemilattice of \(A_ k\) with \(M_ k\) a lower- semimodular lattice with the \(r\)th rank given by \(M_{k,r}\). If for \(A\in A_ k\), \(D(A)= \max\{| B|-| A| \): \(B\in A_ k\) and \(B\leq A\}\), then \(D(A\vee B)\leq D(A)+ D(B)\), with equality obtained when \(A\) and \(B\) have disjoint order ideals e.g.; and \(A\in M_ k\) implying \(D(A)= 0\). It follows that \(\{A: D(A)= 0\}\) is also a join- subsemilattice of \(A_ k\). Specialization to \(M_ 1\) yields results on antichains of interest also.