On the relative strength of the representation theorems for \(l\)-groups (Q1905985)

One of G. Birkhoff's fundamental results in universal algebra is that every algebra belonging to some variety is isomorphic to a subdirect product of subdirectly irreducible algebras belonging to the same variety. This theorem is, in the general case, equivalent to the Axiom of Choice (AC) in Zermelo-Fraenkel (ZF) set theory. However, for particular varieties, it is weaker. For example, in the case of Boolean algebras it is known as the Stone Representation Theorem and is equivalent to the Boolean Prime Ideal Theorem (BPI), strictly weaker than AC. The work under review discusses the relative strength (in ZF) of representation theorems for various classes of \(\ell\)-groups. In particular, it is proved that the Birkhoff Representation Theorem for the variety of representable \(\ell\)-groups, a weak version of Bernau's Representation Theorem for Archimedian \(\ell\)-groups, Keimal's Representation Theorem for hyper-Archimedian \(\ell\)-groups, and the Holland Representation Theorem, are all equivalent to BPI.