Distributivity in skew lattices (Q2634958)

An algebra \((L;\wedge,\vee)\) of type (2,2) is called a skew lattice if both operations \(\wedge\) and \(\vee\) are associative and satisfy the four absorption identities \(x\wedge (x\vee y)=x=(y\vee x)\wedge x\) and their dual. (Absorption causes both operations to be idempotent.) Skew lattices are a non-commutative generalization of lattices. The authors study various forms of distributivity in skew lattices. Especially, they try to describe the position of both the linearly distributive skew lattices and the quasi-distributive skew lattices within the variety of distributive skew lattices. A skew lattice is called distributive, if it satisfies: \[ x\wedge(y\vee z)\wedge x=(x\wedge y\wedge x)\vee (x\wedge z\wedge x) \] and its dual. We recall that a skew lattice \(L\) is said to be quasi-distributive if its maximal lattice image is distributive. Moreover, linearly distributive skew lattices are defined by a pair of identities: \[ x\wedge((y\wedge x\wedge y)\vee (z\wedge x\wedge z))\wedge x=(x\wedge y\wedge x)\vee (x\wedge z\wedge x) \] and its dual. (It is known that both the linearly distributive skew lattices and the quasi-distributive skew lattices are distributive.) Eventually, a skew lattice is said to be be symmetric, whenever \(x\wedge y=y\wedge x\) iff \(x\vee y=y\vee x.\) Some of the new results: (1) The first identity defining linear distributivity of skew lattices (see above) is equivalent with its dual. (2) A skew lattice is distributive iff it is quasi-distributive, linearly distributive and satisfies two additional identities given in the paper under review. (3) A symmetric skew lattice is distributive iff if is both quasi-distributive and linearly distributive.