Natural classes of universal algebras (Q2577744)

The definitions and basic properties of natural classes of modules are due (in the general setting) to \textit{J. Dauns} [Rocky Mt. J. Math. 27, 503--557 (1997; Zbl 0896.16007)]. In the article under review, most properties are recovered in any suitable class \(\mathcal K\) of (universal) algebras (of the same kind). Let \(X\) be a algebra. We write \(A\leq X\) when \(A\) is a subalgebra of \(X\). The supremum of a family \((A_i)_{i\in I}\) of subalgebras of \(X\) is the subalgebra \(\bigvee_{i\in I}A_i= \langle \bigcup_{i\in I} A_i\rangle \) of \(X\) generated by \(\bigcup_{i\in I}A_i\). The supremum of the empty family of subalgebras of \(X\) is the least subalgebras \(0\) of \(X\). A subalgebra \(A\leq X\) is the (internal) \textit{disjoint supremum} of a family \((A_i)_{i\in I}\) of subalgebras of \(X\) (\(A=\bigsqcup_{i\in I}A_i\)) when \(A=\bigvee_{i\in I}A_i\) and \(A_j\cap (\bigvee_{i\neq j} A_i)=0\) for all \({j\in I}\). The \textit{associative condition} for disjoint suprema of \(X\) is: if \(A\cap B=0\) and \((A\sqcup B)\cap C=0\) then \(A\cap(B\sqcup C)=0\). In an algebra \(X\), a subalgebra \(A\) is \textit{\(s\)-essential} in an algebra \(B\) (\(A\sqsubseteq B\)) when \(A\leq B\) and \(A\cap C\neq 0\) for every subalgebra \(0\neq C\leq B\). The \textit{projection condition} for an algebra \(X\) is: if \((A_i)_{i\in I}\) is a family of subalgebras of \(X\) and \(\bigvee_{i\in I}A_i=\bigsqcup_{i\in I}A_i\), then for every \(0\neq B \leq \bigsqcup_{i\in I}A_i\) there exist subalgebras \(0\neq Q\leq B\) and \(P\neq 0\) such that \(Q\cong P\leq A_i\) for some \(i\). A \textit{Dauns class} is nonempty, hereditary class \(\mathcal K\) of algebras such that every \(X\in \mathcal K\) satisfies the associative condition and the projection condition. Let \(\mathcal K\) be a given but arbitrary Dauns class. A class \(\mathcal N\) of algebras is \textit{natural} in \(\mathcal K\) when it is contained in \(\mathcal K\) and is closed under isomorphism, subalgebras, disjoint suprema, and \(s\)-essential extensions. Let \({\mathbb N}={\mathbb N}({\mathcal K})\) be the set of natural classes of \(\mathcal K\)-algebras, ordered by inclusion. A \(\mathcal K\)-algebra \(X\) is \textit{atomic} when it generates a minimal nonzero natural class (an atom in \({\mathbb N}\)); \(X\) is \textit{molecular} when every nonzero subalgebra of \(X\) contains an atomic subalgebra; \(X\) is \textit{bottomless} when no nonzero subalgebra of \(X\) is atomic; \(X\) is \textit{uniform} when all its nonzero singly generated subalgebras are isomorphic; \(X\) is \textit{discrete} when every nonzero subalgebra of \(X\) contains a nonzero uniform subalgebra; \(X\) is \textit{continuous} when no nonzero subalgebra of \(X\) is uniform (for modules these definitions are due to Dauns (see above)). This defines six subclasses of \(\mathcal K\): \(\mathcal A\), \(\mathcal M\), \(\mathcal B\), \(\mathcal U\), \(\mathcal D\), \(\mathcal C\). The author proves that \({\mathbb N}\) is a Boolean lattice and studies interrelations of the classes \(\mathcal A\), \(\mathcal M\), \(\mathcal B\), \(\mathcal U\), \(\mathcal D\), \(\mathcal C\).