Bounding the free spectrum of nilpotent algebras of prime power order (Q2414530)

Let \(\mathbb A\) be a finite algebra and \({\mathcal V}(\mathbb A)\) the variety it generates. The free spectrum of \({\mathcal V}(\mathbb A)\) is the function \(\mathrm{Spec}_{\mathbb A}(k)=|{\mathbb F}_{{\mathcal V}(\mathbb A)}(k)|\) whose value at \(k\) is the cardinality of the \(k\)-generated free algebra of \({\mathcal V}(\mathbb A)\). It is easy to show that \(\mathrm{Spec}_{\mathbb A}(k)\leq |A|^{|A|^k}\), so \(\mathrm{Spec}_{\mathbb A}(k)\) always has a doubly exponential upper bound. In [Algebra Univers. 42, No. 3, 165--182 (1999; Zbl 0978.08006)], the reviewer proves that if \(\mathbb A\) belongs to a congruence modular variety, then \(\mathrm{Spec}_{\mathbb A}(k)\) also has a doubly exponential \textit{lower} bound unless \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] \(\mathbb A\) has a finitely generated clone and \item[(ii)] \(\mathbb A\) factors as a direct product of nilpotent algebras of prime power cardinality. \end{itemize} Conversely, it follows from Theorem 1 of [\textit{J. Berman} and \textit{W. J. Blok}, Algebra Univers. 24, No. 3, 279--282 (1987; Zbl 0647.08005)] that if (i) and (ii) hold, then \(\mathrm{Spec}_{\mathbb A}(k)\) does not have a doubly exponential lower bound, in fact \(\mathrm{Spec}_{\mathbb A}(k)=2^{p(k)}\) for some polynomial \(p\) whose degree can be bounded above by any upper bound on the rank of the commutator terms for \(\mathcal V\). The paper under review estimates an upper bound for the degree of \(p(k)\). Suppose that \(\mathbb A\) generates a congruence modular variety, is nilpotent of order \(|A|=q\) for some prime power \(q\), the height of the congruence lattice of \(\mathbb A\) is \(h\), and that the clone of \(\mathbb A\) is generated by its \(m\)-ary elements. Then \(s=(m(q-1))^{h-1}\) is an upper bound for the degree of \(p(k)\). If \(\mathbb A\) is a product of nilpotent algebras of prime power order, then one can take \(s=(m(|A|-1))^{\log_2(|A|)-1}\) for an upper bound for the degree of \(p(k)\).