On the dual Helly number and irreducible decompositions of the unit in lattices (Q1337871)

Let \(L\) be a lattice with 1. Let be \(a,x\in L\). We say that \(x\) is an upper semicomplement of \(a\), whenever \(a\vee x=1\). If \(x\) is minimal according to this property, then \(x\) is said to be a minimal upper semicomplement of \(a\). We say that \(L\) has the (MUS) property, if for every \(a\in L\) and any upper semicomplement \(b\) of \(a\), there exists a minimal upper semicomplement \(a_1\) of \(a\) such that \(a_1\leq b\). A lattice \(L\) is said to have the (JI) property, if for every join- irreducible element \(a\in L\), the element \(a\vee b\) is join-irreducible in \([b)\) for any \(b\in L\). Eventually, \(L\) has the dual Helly number \(h^* (L)\), if (i) \(h^* (L)= \sup\{ |Y|\): \(Y\subseteq L\) and \(Y\) is dually \(h\)-independent\}; (ii) \(X \subseteq L\) is said to be dually \(h\)-independent if \(\bigvee (\bigwedge (X_1- \{x\})\): \(x\in X_1)= 1\) for any finite \(X_1 \subseteq X\). The author proves: (1) Let \(L\) be a lattice with 1 satisfying (JI). Let \(1= x_1\vee \dots \vee x_n\) be an irreducible decomposition, i.e., it is an irredundant decomposition and every \(x_i\) is join- irreducible. Then \(h^* (L)= n\). (2) Let \(L\) satisfy (JI) and (MUS). Then the following statements are equivalent: (i) \(h^* (L) =n\); (ii) there exists an irreducible decomposition \(1= x_1\vee \dots \vee x_n\). For similar results see \textit{K. Varadarajan} [Commun. Algebra 7, 565-610 (1979; Zbl 0487.16019)] and \textit{P. Grzeszczuk} and \textit{E. R. Puczylowski} [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 31, 47-54 (1984; Zbl 0528.16010)].