Symmetric operations on equivalence relations (Q1430525)

In the following let \({\mathfrak A}\) be a finite set. Let \(R,T\) be two equivalence relations on \({\mathfrak A}\). Then the author defines \(S(R,T): =\{RT(a) \mid a\in {\mathfrak A}\}\), where \(RT(a)=\{x\in{\mathfrak A}\mid xRTa\}\), and where \(xRTa\) means: \(\exists b\in{\mathfrak A}\) with \(xR bTa\). Then \(R\square T\) is defined to be the equivalence relation generated by \(S(R,T)\). The last concept [see \textit{Ø. Ore}, ``Theory of equivalence relations'', Duke Math. J. 9, 573--627 (1942; Zbl 0060.06201)] refers to the definition: Let \(S\subset{\mathfrak P}({\mathfrak A})\) be a family of subsets \(S_i\), \(i\in I\), of \({\mathfrak A}\) whose union is \({\mathfrak A}\). Then the partition generated by \(S\) is \(P(S)=\{(\bigcap\{S_j\mid j\in J\} \setminus \bigcup\{S_k\mid k\in J^c\})\mid J\subset I\}\), where \(J^c\) is the complement of \(J\) in \(I\). The operation \(*\) of \textit{T. Britz}, \textit{M. Mainetti}, and \textit{L. Pezzoli} [``Some operations on the family of equivalence relations'', in: H. Crapo et al. (eds.), Algebraic combinatorics and computer science, Milano: Springer-Verlag, 445--459 (2001; Zbl 0971.03046)] is now characterized in Theorem 3.8: If \(R\) and \(T\) are equivalence relations on a set \({\mathfrak A}\), then \(R*T= (R\square T) \wedge (T\square R)\). In Section 4 the operation \(*\) is generalized (from \(n=2\) to arbitrary integers \(n\geq 2)\). Section 5 discussess another binary commutative operation \(*^w_n\) for positive integers \(n\). Section 6 correlates these operations with the concept of ``type'' of pairs of equivalence relations, and Section 7 gives some applications. Examples and pictures illustrate the text.