Sublattices of Euclidean spaces (Q580389)

A full sublattice L of \({\mathbb{R}}^ n\) is the closure of an open bounded connected subset closed under componentwise minima and maxima. In particular, L is a completely distributive compact topological lattice. The spectrum Prime(L) of all prime elements is, therefore, an important invariant. It is known that, under the present circumstances, Prime(L) is a finite union of inf-closed chains. A point, where two or more of them meet is called a knot. The first section contributes information on the set of nonidentity meet irreducible elements in a continuous lattice. Such an element is completely meet irreducible iff it is a local maximum. If L is a topological lattice with respect to the Lawson topology, then such elements exist iff L is disconnected. If L is a continuous lattice in which every interval is connected and if the set of irreducible elements in closed, then this latter set is connected. In particular, Prime(L) is connected for a full lattice L in euclidean space. Any knot in Prime(L) below the top is a local minimum in Prime(L). The major theorem is as follows: Let L be a compact metrizable distributive lattice of finite breadth n such that Prime(L) is closed. Then the following assertions are equivalent: (1) L is isomorphic to a full sublattice in \({\mathbb{R}}^ n\). (2) Prime(L) is the union of n maximal compact connected chains \(X_ 1,...,X_ n\), all having the top as supremum and being such that for all i and all p in Prime(L), the relation \(p\leq \inf X_ i\) implies \(p=\inf X_ j\) for some j. Moreover, in this case, for \(i\neq j\) we have \(X_ i\cap X_ j\supset \{top,\inf X_ i\}\). The proof of this result is long, nontrivial, and requires a considerable apparatus on continuous lattices, point set topology and order theory.