On the largest numbers of congruences of finite lattices (Q2006976)

For a finite lattice \(L\), let \(\#\textrm{con}(L)\) denote the number of congruences on \(L\). For each fixed \(n\geq 5\), this paper computes the top five values of \(\#\textrm{con}(L)\) for lattices \(L\) satisfying \(|L|=n\). The paper also determines which lattices \(L\) satisfying \(|L|=n\geq 5\) have the property that \(\#\textrm{con}(L)\) is one of the top five values. Straightforward arguments show that if \(L\) has \(k\) nonzero join irreducible elements, then \(\#\textrm{con}(L)\leq 2^{k}\). In particular, when \(|L|=n\), the number of nonzero join irreducible elements of \(L\) is at most \(n-1\), so \(\#\textrm{con}(L)\leq 2^{n-1}\). If equality holds in this estimate, that is, if \(\#\textrm{con}(L) = 2^{n-1}\) holds, then every nonzero element of \(L\) must be join irreducible. This happens exactly when \(L\) is a chain. The top five values of \(\#\textrm{con}(L)\) for \(|L|=n\geq 5\) are \(2^{n-1}\), \(2^{n-2}\), \(5\cdot 2^{n-5}\), \(2^{n-3}\), and \(7\cdot 2^{n-6}\). Most of the lattices that yield these values are ordinal sums of the form (chain) + (middle part) + (chain), although in one case there are two middle parts: (chain) + (first middle part) + (chain) + (second middle part) + (chain). The chain parts can be \(0\)-element chains. Most of the middle parts are glued horizontal sums of two small chains: write \({\mathcal C}_m\boxplus {\mathcal C}_n\) to denote the lattice obtained from an \(m\)-element chain and an \(n\)-element chain by gluing their tops together and and gluing their bottoms together. Assume that \(|L|=n\geq 5\). The paper argues that \newline \(\#\textrm{con}(L)=2^{n-1}\) if and only if \(L\) is a chain. \newline \(\#\textrm{con}(L)=2^{n-2}\) if and only if \(L\) has a single middle part of the form \({\mathcal C}_3\boxplus {\mathcal C}_3\). \newline \(\#\textrm{con}(L)=5\cdot 2^{n-5}\) if and only if \(L\) has a single middle part of the form \({\mathcal C}_3\boxplus {\mathcal C}_4\). \newline \(\#\textrm{con}(L)=2^{n-3}\) if and only if \(L\) has a single middle part of the form \({\mathcal C}_2\times {\mathcal C}_3\) OR \(L\) has two middle parts, each of the form \({\mathcal C}_3\boxplus {\mathcal C}_3\). \newline \(\#\textrm{con}(L)=7\cdot 2^{n-6}\) if and only if \(L\) has a single middle part of the form \({\mathcal C}_3\boxplus {\mathcal C}_5\) OR \(L\) has a single middle part of the form \({\mathcal C}_4\boxplus {\mathcal C}_4\). \newline The first of these conclusions is credited to \textit{R. Freese} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 125, No. 12, 3457--3463 (1997; Zbl 0885.06003)]. The second is credited to \textit{G. Czédli} and \textit{C. Mureşan} [Acta Sci. Math. 85, No. 3--4, 363--380 (2019; Zbl 1449.06005)]. The remaining conclusions are established for the first time in this paper.