The determination of subvarieties of certain congruence-distributive varieties (Q1337159)

The author develops a project concerned with the computer generation of equational bases for varieties of distributive-lattice-ordered algebras. Let \(\mathcal K\) be such a variety generated by a finite algebra. The general problem is to determine a set of identities which, added to a fixed identity basis of \(\mathcal K\), suffices to define via conjunctions every nontrivial subvariety of \(\mathcal K\). It naturally divides into three subproblems: (1) Find the lattice of all subvarieties of \(\mathcal K\) (it is known to be isomorphic to the lattice of order-ideals of the set of isomorphism types of subdirectly irreducible algebras of \(\mathcal K\) ordered by the relation \(A\leq B\to A\in {\mathbf H}{\mathbf S} B)\). (2) Find a procedure which, when applied to any specified covering pair \(V',V''\subseteq {\mathcal K}\), outputs an identity distinguishing \(V'\) from \(V''\). (3) Find a procedure for converting the local information supplied by (2) into global information. The paper under review presents a strategy for (3) based on the well- known distributive lattice duality due to the author [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 2, 186-190 (1970; Zbl 0201.018), Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 24, 507-530 (1972; Zbl 0323.06011)]. The algorithm is illustrated by finding the desired identity set for the variety of Ockham algebras with de Morgan skeleton.