Quasivarieties of algebras with definable principal congruences (Q2277502)

Let \({\mathcal R}\) be a quasivariety of algebras. For \(A\in {\mathcal R}\) we denot by \(\theta_{{\mathcal R}}(a,b)\) the least congruence on A such that \(<a,b>\in \theta_{{\mathcal R}}(a,b)\) and \(A/\theta_{{\mathcal R}}(a,b)\in {\mathcal R}.\) A quasivariety \({\mathcal R}\) has definable principal \({\mathcal R}\)-congruences if there is a first-order formula \(\phi\) (x,y,u,v) such that for \(A\in {\mathcal R}\) and a,b,c,d\(\in A\) \[ <a,b>\in \theta_{{\mathcal R}}(c,d)\Leftrightarrow A\vDash \phi (a,b,c,d). \] An algebra A of \({\mathcal R}\) is said to be (finitely) subdirectly \({\mathcal R}\)-irreducible if the identity relation on A is (finitely) meet irreducible in the lattice of congruences \(\theta\) on A such that A/\(\theta\in {\mathcal R}.\) The main result is as follows: Let a quasivariety \({\mathcal R}\) have definable principal \({\mathcal R}\)-congruences. Then \({\mathcal R}\) is finitely axiomatizable if and only if so is a class of subdirectly \({\mathcal R}\)- irreducible (or finitely subdirectly \({\mathcal R}\)-irreducible) algebras in \({\mathcal R}\). Also the author provides some conditions when a given quasivariety has definable principal \({\mathcal R}\)-congruences.