Sublattices of product spaces: Hulls, representations and counting (Q2477376)

Let \(L\) be a lattice. The authors call \(L\) a product space, if \(L\) can be written as a direct product of (simpler) lattices: \(L=T_I=\prod (T_i: i\in I).\) Having a non-empty subset \(H\) of the product space \(L\), they investigate the sublattice \([H]\) of \(L\) generated by \(H\). The sublattice \([H]\) is said to be a sublattice hull of \(H.\) In the paper the following questions are considered: (i) descriptions of \([H]\) or, in other words, representations of \([H]\); (ii) recognitions of sublattices of product spaces, i.e., a process showing whether a subset \(K\) of \(L\) is a sublattice of \(L\) or not; (iii) counting sublattices in finite product spaces with finite chains (Birkhoff's problem). Note that for many applications it is often important to be able to represent a sublattice in a computationally or algebraically convenient way. It is also useful to be able to recognize if a given subset \(K\) of \(L\) is a sublattice and, if not, to construct \([K].\) Some results: (1) Let \(\pi_i: L=T_I\rightarrow T_i\) denote the \(i\)-th projection for \(i\in I\), i.e., if \(x=x_I=(x_i)_{i\in I}\in L,\) then \(\pi_i(x)=x_i.\) Similarly, if \(J\subseteq I,\) then \(\pi_J(x)=(x_i)_{i\in J}=x_J.\) In addition, if \(H\subseteq T_J\), then the cylinder Cyl\(_I(H)\) is the set \(\{x\in T_I: x_J\in H\}.\) Now, let \(H\subseteq L\) for a product space \(L.\) It is known that \([H]\subseteq \bigcap(\text{Cyl}_I([\pi_{i,j}(H)]): i\neq j\) and \(i,j\in I).\) The authors find sufficient conditions under which equality holds in the above inclusion. This description of \([H]\) is called a representation by projections. (2) There is another description of \([H]\), namely the representation with proper boundary epigraphs. (3) The authors provide upper and lower bounds on the number of sublattices, giving a partial solution to Birkhoff's problem. Observe that the authors extend results of \textit{D. M. Topkis} [Pac. J. Math. 65, 525--532 (1976; Zbl 0333.06002)] and \textit{A. F. Veinott jun.} [Linear Algebra Appl. 114/115, 681--704 (1989; Zbl 0669.06002)].