Infinite antichains in semilattices (Q1070253)

A semilattice is called complete, if every non-empty subset has an inf and every directed subset has a sup. It is called continuous if it is complete and every element is the sup of elements way-below it. (In regard to the latter concept, the authors have changed established terminology.) The lattice \(2^{{\mathbb{N}}}\) contains a countable antichain, namely, the set of its coatoms, and if properly indexed into a sequence, it converges upwards to 1. This antichain is completely free in the sense that inf \(C_ 1=\inf C_ 2\) for any two subsets of the antichain implies \(C_ 1=C_ 2\). The following theorem is based on earlier results of Liukkonen and Mislove: For a continuous semilattice S, the following conditions are equivalent: (1) S does not contain a copy of \(2^{{\mathbb{N}}}\). (2) S does not contain a completely free countably infinite antichain. (3) S contains no Cantor set K such that inf \(F_ 1=\inf F_ 2\) implies \(F_ 1=F_ 2\) for finite \(F_ j\) in K. (4) Every compact subset K of S contains a finite subset F with inf F\(=\inf K\). (5) There is an algebraic lattice with countably many compact elements which does not embed into S. Also \(2^{{\mathbb{N}}}\) is universal in other respects. However, the paper introduces a new prototype of a complete lattice containing an antichain converging upwards to 1. Indeed let \(\Delta =\{(i,j):\) \(1\leq i<j\leq \infty \}\cup \{(\infty,\infty)\}\) with (i,j)\(\leq (i',j')\) if \(j\leq i'\) or \(i=i'\), \(j\leq j'\). It turns out that as an inf- semilattice, \(\Delta\) is a quotient of the free semilattice in countably many generators \(y_ n\) subject to the relations \(y_ i\wedge y_ j\leq y_ k\) for \(i<j<k.\) When given the interval topology, \(\Delta\) is a compact topological lattice of breadth 2. The central result of this paper is the following: If a meet continuous complete semilattice contains a countably infinite antichain converging upwards to an element, then there is an embedding of \(\Delta\) into it preserving infs and directed sups. The difficulty arises when the antichain is not completely free and thus the semilattice does not necessarily contain a copy of \(2^{{\mathbb{N}}}\). The proof in this case is based on a tricky recursive construction. If one takes away from \(\Delta\) all pairs one of whose components is \(\infty\), one obtains the poset which the authors call \(\delta\). Their main result leads the authors to the following theorem: For a (\(\vee,0)\)-semilattice S, the following conditions are equivalent: (1) S contains a copy of \(\delta\). (2) The ideal lattice Id(S) contains a countable antichain converging upwards. (3) Id(S) contains a copy of \(\Delta\). (4) Id(S) contains an infinite antichain. (5) S admits a semilattice homomorphism onto \(\delta\) or \(\delta\) \(\cup \{1\}\). Even the equivalence of the purely semilattice theoretical statements (1) and (5) apparently requires the whole machinery. The paper concludes with a consideration of antichains which do not converge upwards.