Central elements in varieties with the Fraser-Horn property (Q1969245)

A variety \({\mathcal V}\) is called a variety with \(\vec 0\) and \(\vec 1\) if there exist unary terms \(0_1,\dots, 0_n\), \(1_1,\dots, 1_n\) such that \({\mathcal V}\models \vec 0(w)=\vec 1(w) \Rightarrow x=y\). Let be \(b\in A\in{\mathcal V}\). An element \(\vec e\in A^n\) is called \(b\)-central if there is an isomorphism \(A\to A_1\times A_2\) such that \[ \vec e\to ((0_1(b_1), 1_1(b_2)),\dots, (0_n(b_1), 1_n(b_2))). \] A variety \({\mathcal V}\) has the Fraser-Horn property if for every \(A_1,A_2\in{\mathcal V}\) and each congruence \(\theta\) there is a product congruence \(\theta_1\times \theta_2\) on \(A_1\times A_2\). The main result states that in every variety \({\mathcal V}\) with \(\vec 0\) and \(\vec 1\) having the Fraser-Horn property the \(b\)-central elements can be characterized by suitable \(\forall\exists\)-formulas, and factor congruences by certain existential formulas. This yields that if \({\mathcal V}\) is of a finite type then the class of directly indecomposable members of \({\mathcal V}\) is definable by a \(\forall\exists\forall\)-sentence.