\(\kappa\)-complete uniquely complemented lattices (Q943377)

Let UC stand for `uniquely complemented'. The question ``is every complete UC lattice distributive?'' is still open in lattice theory. Related to it is the main theorem of the paper, which states that, for \(\kappa\) an infinite cardinal, every complete at most UC lattice can be regularly embedded into a \(\kappa\)-complete UC-lattice. This regular embedding preserves all joins and meets; in particular, it preserves the bounds of the original lattice. The proof of the theorem uses transfinite recursion to construct, starting from the original lattice, a chain of lattices \(L_\alpha\) with \(\alpha \leq \kappa\). Each \(L_\alpha\) is a complete at most UC lattice, and, for each \(\alpha < \beta\) their embedding \(L_\alpha \leq L_\beta\) is regular. Moreover, each element of \(L_\alpha\) has a complement in \(L_\beta\). The union of this chain is the required \(\kappa\)-complete UC extension of the original lattice. To produce the chain, the author uses a recent construction by Grätzer and Lakser [see, e.g., \textit{G. Grätzer}, ``Two problems that shaped a century of lattice theory'', Notices Am. Math. Soc. 54, No.~6, 696--707 (2007; Zbl 1286.06001)] in conjunction with a completion method. One of the consequences of the main theorem states that any lattice can be embedded into a \(\kappa\)-complete UC lattice so that all existing joins and all existing non-empty meets are preserved.