Poset algebras over well quasi-ordered posets (Q934887)

For a poset \(P\), the free Boolean algebra \(F(P)\) is (uniquely) defined by: There exists a \(\leq\)-preserving injection \(x: P\to F(P)\) such that (1) the image set \(\{x(p): x\in P\}\) of \(x\) generates \(F(P)\), and (2) if \(B\) is any Boolean algebra and \(f: P\to B\) any \(\leq\)-preserving map then there exists a Boolean homomorphism \(\widehat f: F(P)\to B\) such that \(\widehat f(x(p))= f(p)\) for every \(x\in P\). And \(L(P)\) is defined to be the sublattice of \(F(P)\) generated by \(\{x(p): p\in P\}\). Then it is proved: If \(P\) is a poset such that there exists a well quasi-ordered poset \(Q\subseteq L(P)\) which generates \(F(P)\), then \(P\) is a well quasi-ordering. Let \(P\) be a well quasi-ordering. Then \(L(P)\) is well-founded and a countable union of well quasi-ordered sets. And every antichain of \(L(P)\) is countable. Let \({\mathcal B}\) be the class of all posets \(P\) such that there is a sublattice of \(L(P)\) that generates \(F(P)\) and is a better quasi-order. It is proved that \({\mathcal B}\) is closed under homomorphic images, finite products and lexicographic sums over better quasi-ordered index sets. Every countable well quasi-ordered poset is in \({\mathcal B}\). The last section contains examples and counterexamples. If \(G\) is a well-founded lattice which generates \(F(\omega^*\cdot\omega_1)\) then \(G\) contains an uncountable antichain. \(F(\omega^*\cdot\omega_1)\) is not a homomorphic image of \(F(W)\) for any well quasi-ordered poset \(W\). For every uncountable almost disjoint family \({\mathcal A}\subset{\mathcal P}(\omega)\) the algebra \(B({\mathcal A})\) is well-generated and is not embeddable into any poset algebra. Furthermore, if \(B({\mathcal A})\) is a homomorphic image of \(F(P)\), then \(P\) has an uncountable antichain. The set \(F(\omega_1+ \omega^*)\) is generated by a better quasi-ordered subset, and this algebra is not isomorphic to \(F(P)\) for any well quasi-ordered poset \(P\). There exists a Boolean algebra \(B\) generated by a better quasi-ordered subset, namely a homomorphic image of the poset algebra of the disjoint sum of two copies of \(\omega_1\), which is not isomorphic to a poset algebra.