Finite algebras with large free spectra (Q1118629)

Several new facts about (asymptotic) behavior of the number of derived (term) operations in a finite universal algebra \({\mathfrak A}=<A,F>\), \(| A| =k\), are presented. Let \(F_{{\mathfrak A}}(n)\) be the free algebra on n generators in the variety generated by \({\mathfrak A}\). The free spectrum of \({\mathfrak A}\) is the function \(s_{{\mathfrak A}}(n)=| F_ A(n)|\). An upper bound for \(s_{{\mathfrak A}}(n)\) is \(k^{k^ n}\) and \(s_{{\mathfrak A}}(n)=k^{k^ n}\) iff \({\mathfrak A}\) is primal. The deficit function \(\delta_{{\mathfrak A}}(N)\) is defined by \(s_{{\mathfrak A}}(n)=k^{k^ n-\delta}{\mathfrak A}^{(n)}\). It is shown that if \(k\geq 3\) then either there exists a constant c (depending only on k) such that \(\delta_{{\mathfrak A}}(n)\geq c2^ n\) or there exists d, \(0\leq d\leq k\) such that \(\delta_{{\mathfrak A}}(n)=d\). In the latter case \({\mathfrak A}\) is term equivalent to a quasiprimal algebra whose only proper subalgebras are d singletons and all operations on A that preserve these singletons are term operations. In case \(k=2\) either \(\delta (n)=0\), 1 or 2 or \(\delta (n)\geq 2^{n-1}-(1+(c \log n)/n).\) \({\mathfrak A}\) is called log maximal if \(\log_ k(s_{{\mathfrak A}}(n))\) is asymptotic to \(k^ n\). It is shown that of the six types of maximal clones on a finite set five do not belong to log maximal algebras and if an algebra is log maximal then it is simple, has no nontrivial antimorphisms and is functionally complete. Examples are given of clones of the sixth type showing that they could be either log maximal or not.