Modular and lower-modular elements of lattices of semigroup varieties. (Q1758219)

An element of a lattice \(L\) is `modular' if whenever \(y\leq z\), then \((x\vee y)\wedge z=(x\wedge z)\vee y\). \textit{J. Ježek} and \textit{R. McKenzie} [Semigroup Forum 46, No. 2, 199-245 (1993; Zbl 0782.20051)] showed in essence that if a nontrivial variety of semigroups is modular in the lattice of semigroup varieties then it is either a nilvariety or the join of such a variety with the variety of semilattices. \textit{B. M. Vernikov} [Comment. Math. Univ. Carol. 48, No. 4, 595-606 (2007; Zbl 1174.20324)] showed that if a nilvariety is modular, then it may be given by `0-reduced' and `substitutive' identities. One of the main purposes of the current paper is to prove the precise analogues of these two results within the context of the lattice of varieties of commutative semigroups, at the same time providing new proofs of the originals. In addition, it is shown that the classification of `lower modular' members of the lattice of semigroup varieties given by \textit{B. M. Vernikov} and the author [Acta Sci. Math. 76, No. 3-4, 371-382 (2010; Zbl 1232.20061)] also has a precise analogue in the commutative case.