A non-associative generalization of Hájek's BL-algebras (Q409739)

The paper studies non-associative (bounded, integral) residuated lattices and introduces and proves several properties of non-associative BL-algebras. Recall that a structure \((A,\vee,\wedge,*,\to,0,1)\) is a bounded integral residuated lattice if \((A,\vee,\wedge,0,1)\) is a bounded lattice, \((A,*,1)\) is a commutative monoid, and residuation holds, that is, \(x*y \leq z\) iff \(x \leq y \to z\) for all \(x,y,z \in A\). A BL-algebra is a residuated lattice satisfying divisibility: \(x*(x \to y) = x \wedge y\), and prelinearity: \((x \to y) \vee (y \to x) = 1\). Both residuated lattices and BL-algebras form varieties, and in particular the variety of BL-algebras is generated by the class of t-norm-algebras, that is, BL-algebras \(([0,1],\max,\min,*,\to,0,1)\), where \(*\) is a continuous t-norm and \(\to\) is its associated residuum. Recall that a t-norm is an operation \(* : [0,1]^2 \to [0,1]\) such that \(([0,1],*,1)\) is a commutative monoid and for all \(x,y,z \in [0,1]\) it holds that \(x \leq y\) implies \(x*z \leq y*z\). The notion of non-associative residuated lattice is obtained by dropping the requirement of associativity from the definition of residuated lattice, that is, postulating that \((A,*,1)\) is just a commutative gruopoid with unity \(1\), instead of being a commutative monoid. It is proved that non-associative residuated lattices form a variety. To define non-associative BL-algebras the author introduces the following variants of prelinearity: (\(\alpha\)-prelinearity): \((x \to y) \vee \alpha_b^a(y \to x) = 1\), and (\(\beta\)-prelinearity): \((x \to y) \vee \beta_b^a(y \to x) = 1\), where \(\alpha_b^a(x) = (a*b)\to(a*(b*x))\) and \(\beta_b^a(x)=b\to(a\to((a*b)*x))\). Consider the class of representable non-associative residuated lattices, that is, the subvariety generated by the totally ordered members of the full variety. Then a non-associative BL-algebra is a representable non-associative residuated lattice satisfying divisibility. Hence, non-associative BL-algebras form a variety. The author proves that a non-associative residuated lattice is a non-associative BL-algebra if it satisfies divisibility and \(\alpha\)- and \(\beta\)-prelinearity. The notion of non-associative t-norm is introduced by replacing in the definition of continuous t-norm the requirement that \(([0,1],*,1)\) is a commutative monoid with the requirement that it is just a commutative groupoid with unity \(1\). The author proves that, as in the associative case, to each non-associative t-norm \(*\) there is a unique associated operation \(\to\) such that the pair \((*,\to)\) satisfies residuation. Moreover, each algebra \(([0,1],\max,\min,*,\to,0,1)\) is a non-associative BL-algebra, called a non-associative t-norm-algebra. The main result, which is proved using universal algebraic tools, such as partial algebras and ultraproducts, is that the variety of non-associative BL-algebras is generated, both as a variety and as a quasivariety, by the class of non-associative t-norm-algebras, thus justifying the statement that non-associative BL-logic (that is, Basic Logic without associativity of conjunction) is the logic of non-associative t-norms.