Graded left modular lattices are supersolvable (Q2577743)

According to \textit{R. P. Stanley} [Algebra Univers. 2, 197--217 (1972; Zbl 0256.06002)], a finite lattice, \(L\), is supersolvable if it contains a maximal chain \(\Delta\) such that for each chain \(K\) the sublattice generated by \(\Delta \cup K\) is distributive. He showed that such \(L\) is graded and that each element of \(\Delta\) is left modular. Here, an element \(a\) is called left modular if for any \(b \leq c\) the sublattice generated by \(a,b,c\) is distributive. The converse has been shown by \textit{P. McNamara} and the author [Eur. J. Comb. 27, 101--113 (2006; Zbl 1083.06005)] based on the thesis of \textit{L. S.-C. Liu} [Left modular elements and edge labellings. Ph.D. Thesis, Michigan State Univ. (1999)]. In the paper under review, a direct lattice-theoretic proof is given without requiring finiteness of \(L\). It is based on a thorough analysis of Birkhoff's proof that modular lattices generated by two chains are distributive. An auxiliary result of interest is that any sublattice generated by a chain and a singleton, within a graded lattice, is distributive. The discussion of free prodacts and graded quotients is not needed.