A characterization of the free \(n\)-generated MV-algebra (Q818513)

The usual way how the free MV-algebra over \(n\) generators is described, is by means of McNaughton functions. More precisely, it can be considered as the algebra of all McNaughton functions over the \(n\)-dimensional hypercube with the operations defined point-wise. In this paper the author gives an alternative characterization. He proves that an MV-algebra \(A\) is isomorphic to the free \(n\)-generated MV-algebra if, and only if, it satisfies the following conditions: (1) \(A\) is semisimple. (2) \(A\) is generated by a partition of unity \(P=\{p_0,\dots,p_{2^n-1}\}\), i.e., \(p_j\neq 0\) and \(\bigoplus_{i\neq j} p_i=\neg p_j\) for each \(j\). (3) Let \(C=\{q_1,\dots,q_k\}\) be a \(k\)-element subset of \(P\). The subset \(C\) is called \(k\)-cluster if \(\bigwedge q_i\neq 0\). The one-set of \(C\) is the set of maximal ideals \(J\) of \(A\) such that \(\bigoplus_{i=1}^k (q_i/J)=1\), endowed with the spectral topology of the maximal ideal space of \(A\). Then the one-set of each \(k\)-cluster is homeomorphic to the \((k-1)\)-dimensional disk with the usual topology. (4) The clusters of \(P\) are exactly the nice subsets of \(P\).