Finite distributive lattices and the splitting property (Q2496137)

Given a maximal antichain \(A\) of a poset \(P\), say that \(A\) splits if \(A=B\cup C\) such that \(B\cap C=\emptyset \) and \(P\) is the union of the upset of \(B\) and the downset of \(C\). Say that \(P\) has the splitting property if every maximal antichain of \(P\) splits. It was proved by Ahlswede, Erdős and Graham that every finite Boolean lattice has the splitting property. The authors get a full characterization for finite distributive lattices: A finite distributive lattice \(L\) has the splitting property if and only if \(L\cong 2^n\) for some nonnegative integer \(n\) or \(L\cong 3\times 2^n\) for \(n=1, 2\) or \(3\). The authors also introduce a measure of ``how splitting'' a finite distributive lattice is and investigate this measure.