Semilattice

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In mathematics, a join-semilattice (or upper semilattice) is a partially ordered set which has a join(a least

upper bound) for any nonempty finite subset. Dually, a meet-semilattice (or lower semilattice) is a partially
ordered set which has a meet (or greatest lower bound) for any nonempty finite subset. Every join-semilattice is
a meet-semilattice in the inverse order and vice versa.

Semilattices can also be defined algebraically: join and meet are associative, commutative,idempotent binary

operations, and any such operation induces a partial order (and the respective inverse order) such that the
result of the operation for any two elements is the least upper bound (or greatest lower bound) of the elements
with respect to this partial order.

A lattice is a partially ordered set that is both a meet- and join-semilattice with respect to the same partial order.
Algebraically, a lattice is a set with two associative, commutative idempotent binary operations linked by
corresponding absorption laws.

Contents
 [hide]

1 Order-theoretic definition

2 Algebraic definition

3 Connection between both

definitions

4 Examples

5 Semilattice morphisms

6 Equivalence with algebraic

lattices

7 Distributive semilattices

8 Complete semilattices

9 Free semilattices

10 See also

11 References

12 External links

[edit]Order-theoretic definition

A set S partially ordered by the binary relation ≤ is a meet-semilattice if

 For all elements x and y of S, the greatest lower bound of the set {x, y} exists.

The greatest lower bound of the set {x, y} is called the meet of x and y, denoted x ∧ y.

Replacing "greatest lower bound" with "least upper bound" results in the dual concept of a join-
semilattice. The least upper bound of {x, y} is called the join of x and y, denoted x ∨ y. Meet and join
are binary operations on S. A simple induction argument shows that the existence of all possible pairwise
suprema (infima), as per the definition, implies the existence of all non-empty finite suprema (infima).

A join-semilattice is bounded if it has a least element, the join of the empty set. Dually, a meet-
semilattice is bounded if it has a greatest element, the meet of the empty set.

Other properties may be assumed; see the article on completeness in order theory for more discussion
on this subject. That article also discusses how we may rephrase the above definition in terms of the
existence of suitable Galois connections between related posets — an approach of special interest
for category theoretic investigations of the concept.

[edit]Algebraic definition
A "meet-semilattice" is an algebraic structure 〈S, ∧〉 consisting of a set S with a binary operation ∧,
called meet, such that for all members x, y, and z of S, the following identities hold:

Associativity

x ∧ (y ∧ z) = (x ∧ y) ∧ z

Commutativity

x ∧ y = y ∧ x

Idempotency

x ∧ x = x

A meet-semilattice 〈S, ∧〉 is bounded if S includes an identity element 1 such that x ∧ 1

= x for all xin S.

If the symbol ∨, called join, replaces ∧ in the definition just given, the structure is called
a join-semilattice. One can be ambivalent about the particular choice of symbol for the
operation, and speak simply of semilattices.

A semilattice is an idempotent, commutative semigroup. Alternatively, a semilattice is a

commutativeband. A bounded semilattice is an idempotent commutative monoid.

A partial order is induced on a meet-semilattice by setting x≤y whenever x∧y=x. For a

join-semilattice, the order is induced by setting x≤y whenever x∨y=y. In a bounded meet-
semilattice, the identity 1 is the greatest element of S. Similarly, an identity element in a
join semilattice is a least element.

[edit]Connection between both definitions

An order theoretic meet-semilattice 〈S, ≤〉 gives rise to a binary operation ∧ such that 〈S,
∧〉 is an algebraic meet-semilattice. Conversely, the meet-semilattice 〈S, ∧〉 gives rise to
a binary relation ≤ that partially orders S in the following way: for all
elements x and y in S, x ≤ y if and only if x = x ∧ y.

The relation ≤ introduced in this way defines a partial ordering from which the binary
operation ∧ may be recovered. Conversely, the order induced by the algebraically
defined semilattice 〈S, ∧〉 coincides with that induced by ≤.

Hence both definitions may be used interchangeably, depending on which one is more
convenient for a particular purpose. A similar conclusion holds for join-semilattices and
the dual ordering ≥.

[edit]Examples

Semilattices are employed to construct other order structures, or in conjunction with

other completeness properties.

 A lattice is both a join- and a meet-semilattice. The interaction of these two

semilattices via theabsorption law is what truly distinguishes a lattice from a
semilattice.

 The compact elements of an algebraic lattice, under the induced partial ordering,

form a bounded join-semilattice.

 Any tree structure (with the root as the least element) is a meet-semilattice.

Consider for example the set of finite words over some alphabet, ordered by
the prefix ordering. It has a least but no greatest element: the root is the meet of all
other elements.

 A Scott domain is a meet-semilattice.

 Membership in any set L can be taken as a model of a semilattice with base set L,

because a semilattice captures the essence of set extensionality.
Let a∧b denote a∈L & b∈L. Two sets differing only in one or both of the:

1. Order in which their members are listed;

2. Multiplicity of one or more members,

are in fact the same set. Commutativity and associativity of ∧ assure (1), idempotence, (2). This
semilattice is the free semilattice over L. It is not bounded by L, because a set is not a member of
itself.

 Classical extensional mereology defines a join-semilattice, with join read as

binary fusion. This semilattice is bounded from above by the world individual.
[edit]Semilattice morphisms

The above algebraic definition of a semilattice suggests a notion

of morphism between two semilattices. Given two join-semilattices 〈S, ∨〉 and 〈T,
∨〉, a homomorphism of (join-) semilattices is a function f: S → T such that

f(x ∨ y) = f(x) ∨ f(y).

Hence f is just a homomorphism of the two semigroups associated with each

semilattice. If S and Tboth include a least element 0, then f should also be
a monoid homomorphism, i.e. we additionally require that

f(0) = 0.

In the order-theoretic formulation, these conditions just state that a

homomorphism of join-semilattices is a function that preserves binary
joins and least elements, if such there be. The obvious dual—replacing
∧ with ∨ and 0 with 1—transforms this definition of a join-semilattice
homomorphism into its meet-semilattice equivalent.

Note that any semilattice homomorphism is necessarily monotone with

respect to the associated ordering relation. For an explanation see the
entry preservation of limits.

[edit]Equivalence with algebraic lattices

There is a well-known equivalence between the category   of join-

semilattices with zero with  -homomorphisms and the
category   of algebraic lattices with compactness-preserving
complete join-homomorphisms, as follows. With a join-
semilattice S with zero, we associate its ideal lattice  . With
a  -homomorphism   of  -semilattices, we
associate the map  , that with any
ideal I of S associates the ideal of T generated by f(I). This defines a
functor  . Conversely, with every algebraic lattice A we
associate the  -semilattice K(A) of all compact elements of A,
and with every compactness-preserving complete join-
homomorphism   between algebraic lattices we
associate the restriction  . This defines
a functor  . The pair (Id,K) defines a category
equivalence between   and  .

[edit]Distributive semilattices

Surprisingly, there is a notion of "distributivity" applicable to

semilattices, even though distributivity conventionally requires the
interaction of two binary operations. This notion requires but a single
operation, and generalizes the distributivity condition for lattices. See
the entry distributivity (order theory).

[edit]Complete semilattices

Nowadays, the term "complete semilattice" has no generally accepted

meaning, and various inconsistent definitions exist. If completeness is
taken to require the existence of all infinite joins and meets, whichever
the case may be, as well as finite ones, this immediately leads to
partial orders that are in fact complete lattices. For why the existence of
all possible infinite joins entails the existence of all possible infinite
meets (and vice versa), see the entry completeness (order theory).

Nevertheless, the literature on occasion still takes complete join- or

meet-semilattices to be complete lattices. In this case, "completeness"
denotes a restriction on the scope of the homomorphisms. Specifically,
a complete join-semilattice requires that the homomorphisms preserve
all joins, but contrary to the situation we find for completeness
properties, this does not require that homomorphisms preserve all
meets. On the other hand, we can conclude that every such mapping is
the lower adjoint of some Galois connection. The corresponding
(unique) upper adjoint will then be a homomorphism of complete meet-
semilattices. This gives rise to a number of useful categorical
dualities between the categories of all complete semilattices with
morphisms preserving all meets or joins, respectively.
Another usage of "complete meet-semilattice" refers to a bounded
complete cpo. A complete meet-semilattice in this sense is arguably
the "most complete" meet-semilattice that is not necessarily a complete
lattice. Indeed, a complete meet-semilattice has all non-empty meets
(which is equivalent to being bounded complete) and all directed joins.
If such a structure has also a greatest element (the meet of the empty
set), it is also a complete lattice. Thus a complete semilattice turns out
to be "a complete lattice possibly lacking a top". This definition is of
interest specifically in domain theory, where bounded
complete algebraic cpos are studied as Scott domains. Hence Scott
domains have been called algebraic semilattices.

[edit]Free semilattices

This section presupposes some knowledge of category theory. In

various situations, free semilattices exist. For example, the forgetful
functor from the category of join-semilattices (and their
homomorphisms) to the category of sets (and functions) admits a left
adjoint. Therefore, the free join-semilattice F(S) over a set S is
constructed by taking the collection of all non-empty finite subsets ofS,
ordered by subset inclusion. Clearly, S can be embedded into F(S) by
a mapping e that takes any element s in S to the singleton set {s}.
Then any function f from a S to a join-semilattice T (more formally, to
the underlying set of T) induces a unique homomorphism f' between
the join-semilatticesF(S) and T, such that f = f' o e. Explicitly, f' is given
by f' (A) =  {f(s) | s in S}. Now the obvious uniqueness of f' suffices to
obtain the required adjunction—the morphism-part of the functor F can
be derived from general considerations (see adjoint functors). The
case of free meet-semilattices is dual, using the opposite subset
inclusion as an ordering. For join-semilattices with bottom, we just add
the empty set to the above collection of subsets.

In addition, semilattices often serve as generators for free objects

within other categories. Notably, both the forgetful functors from the
category of frames and frame-homomorphisms, and from the category
of distributive lattices and lattice-homomorphisms, have a left adjoint.

[edit]See also
 List of order topics

 Semiring
[edit]References

 Davey, B. A.; Priestley, H. A. (2002). Introduction to Lattices and

Order (second ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-
78451-4.

 Vickers, Steven (1989). Topology via Logic. Cambridge University

Press. ISBN 0-521-36062-5.

Regrettably, it is often the case that standard treatments of lattice

theory define a semilattice, if that, and then say no more. See the
references in the entries order theory and lattice theory. Moreover,
there is no literature on semilattices of comparable magnitude to that
on semigroups.

[edit]External links

 Jipsen's algebra structures page: Semilattices.

Categories: Lattice theory