Maximal subalgebras of \(\mathrm{MV}_n\)-algebras. A proof of a conjecture of A. Monteiro (Q861575)

An MV-algebra is a structure \((A,\oplus ,^{-},0)\) of type \((2,2,0)\) such that \((A,\oplus ,0)\) is a commutative monoid with neutral element \(0\) satisfying the following equations \(x^{=}=x,\) \(x\oplus 0^{-}=0^{-}\) and \( (x\oplus y)^{-}=x^{-}\oplus y^{-}\). For each integer \(n\geq 2,\) MV\(_{n}\) denotes the variety of MV-algebras generated by the MV-chain with \(n\) elements. Algebras in MV\(_{n}\) are represented as continuous functions from a Boolean space into an \(n\)-element chain equipped with the discrete topology. In this paper, using these representations, maximal subalgebras of algebras in MV\(_{n}\) are characterized, and it is shown that proper subalgebras are intersections of maximal subalgebras. When \(A\in \text{MV}_{3},\) the mentioned characterization of maximal subalgebras of \(A\) can be given in terms of prime filters of the underlying lattice \(A,\) in the form that was conjectured by A. Monteiro.