Questions tagged [boolean-algebras]

A Boolean algebra is a commutative ring satisfying x²=x for every x, and sometimes required to have a unit; they have characteristic 2. For coding theory (notably dealing with subsets linear subspaces of spaces of Boolean functions), rather use the [coding-theory] or [linear-algebra] tag.

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In the category of sigma algebras, are all epimorphisms surjective?

Consider the category of abstract $\sigma$-algebras ${\mathcal B} = (0, 1, \vee, \wedge, \bigvee_{n=1}^\infty, \bigwedge_{n=1}^\infty, \overline{\cdot})$ (Boolean algebras in which all countable joins ...
Terry Tao's user avatar
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Which complete Boolean algebras arise as the algebras of projections of commutative von Neumann algebras?

Projections in an arbitrary commutative von Neumann algebra form a complete Boolean algebra. Moreover, a morphism of commutative von Neumann algebras induces a continuous morphism of the corresponding ...
Dmitri Pavlov's user avatar
18 votes
4 answers
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Complete Boolean algebra not isomorphic to a $\sigma$-algebra

Does there exist a complete Boolean algebra that is not isomorphic to any $\sigma$-algebra? If so, what is an easy or canonical example or construction?
Bjørn Kjos-Hanssen's user avatar
18 votes
3 answers
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How do I apply the Boolean Prime Ideal Theorem?

I have become aware of an amazing phenomenon from a myriad of questions and answers here on MathOverflow: many of the results that I would typically prove using the Axiom of Choice can actually be ...
Manny Reyes's user avatar
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Which sigma-ideals in a sigma-algebra are ideals of null sets?

My question is motivated, to be somewhat vague, by an attempt to see how much a measure space is defined by the set of null sets. In other words, assume we are not given a concrete measure on a space ...
Super-Measurable Analyst's user avatar
17 votes
2 answers
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Can we put a probability measure on every $\sigma$-algebra?

The following question has puzzled me for some time: Let $(\Omega,\Sigma)$ be a nonempty, measurable space. Does there necessarily exist a probability measure $\mu:\Sigma\to[0,1]$? If there ...
Michael Greinecker's user avatar
16 votes
1 answer
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What is a module over a Boolean ring?

Recall that a (unital) Boolean ring is a (unital) commutative ring $A$ where every element is idempotent; it follows that $A$ is of characteristic 2. There is an equivalence of categories between ...
Tim Campion's user avatar
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The dominating number $\mathfrak{d}$ and convergent sequences

All spaces considered below are compact Hausdorff. If $K$ is a space, then $w(K)$ is its weight. For a Boolean algebra $\mathcal{A}$, $K_\mathcal{A}$ denotes its Stone space. I am interested in ...
Damian Sobota's user avatar
15 votes
2 answers
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Is Stone-Čech compactification of 0-dimensional space also 0-dimensional?

What is an example of a 0-dimensional locally compact Hausdorff space $X$ for which the Stone-Čech compactification $\beta(X)$ is not 0-dimensional? It is known that if $X$ is a 0-dimensional locally ...
Fred Dashiell's user avatar
14 votes
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484 views

Near permutation $n\mapsto n+1$ not conjugate to its inverse on the Stone-Čech remainder?

Let $\beta\omega$ be the Stone-Čech compactification of the discrete infinite countable space $\omega$, and $\beta^*\omega=\beta\omega\smallsetminus \omega$ is the Stone-Čech remainder. The map $j:n\...
YCor's user avatar
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Analytical origins of the Stone duality

I've asked this question in the HSM community, but by the nature of my question, some user told me to ask this question here. This is the original post https://hsm.stackexchange.com/q/13087/14296 ...
IJM98's user avatar
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Nontrivially nontrivial automorphisms of $P(\omega_1)/$fin

Velickovic proved (Theorem 4.1 of OCA and automorphisms of $\mathcal{P}(\omega)/\mathrm{fin}$) that, assuming OCA (Open Coloring Axiom) and $\rm MA_{\aleph_1}$, every (Boolean algebra) automorphism ...
Paul McKenney's user avatar
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1 answer
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What are internal complete atomic boolean algebras, intuitively?

The category of complete atomic boolean algebras $\mathbf{CABA}$ is equivalent to $\mathbf{Set}^{\mathrm{op}}$ via $$\mathbf{Set}^{\mathrm{op}} \to \mathbf{CABA}, ~ X \mapsto (P(X),\bigcup,\bigcap).$$ ...
Martin Brandenburg's user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
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Is it possible to completely embed complete Heyting Algebras into upsets of a poset?

Let $H$ be a Heyting algebra. It is a well-known result that there is a partially ordered set (Kripke frame) X such that there is an embedding of Heyting algebras $f: H \to \mathsf{Up}(X)$, where $\...
namsap's user avatar
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A curiosity on complete homomorphisms of boolean algebras

The question may be trivial, but has eluded me, may be it is more appropriate for mathstack-exchange. Let $B$, $C$ be boolean algebras and $i:B\to C$ be an homomorphism. By Stone duality to each such ...
matteo viale's user avatar
13 votes
1 answer
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Can any poset of cardinality $\leq 2^{\aleph_0}$ be embedded in ${\cal P}(\omega)/(\text{fin})$?

We endow ${\cal P}(\omega)$ with an equivalence relation by saying that $A\simeq_{\text{fin}} B$ iff the symmetric difference $A\Delta B$ is finite. The resulting set of equivalence classes is denoted ...
Dominic van der Zypen's user avatar
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3 answers
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About a construction of Borel $\sigma$-algebra associated to a lattice

Let $(\mathcal{A}, \cup, \cap)$ a lattice (with minimum and maximum elements $\bot$ and $\top$). Let $X\subset \mathcal{A}$ a generator set (a set of minimal cardinality that generate $\mathcal{A}$ i....
Buschi Sergio's user avatar
12 votes
5 answers
2k views

Jonsson Boolean algebras?

Let us say that a mathematical structure of cardinality $\omega_1$ is Jonsson whenever every one of its proper substructures is countable. There are examples of Jonsson groups due to Shelah or ...
Tomasz Kania's user avatar
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12 votes
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Examples for "nice" Boolean algebras that are not complete or not atomic

A Boolean algebra may, or may not, be complete (i.e, any set of elements has a sup and an inf) or atomic (i.e., every element is a sup of some set of atoms). Boolean Algebras that are complete as ...
Niemi's user avatar
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A unique ultrafilter extending a union of filters?

Original Question: Let $\mathcal{P}(\omega)/fin$ denote the Boolean algebra formed from $\mathcal{P}(\omega)$ by modding out by the ideal $fin$ of finite subsets of $\omega$. As a first pass at the ...
Adam Bjorndahl's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
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Coproducts of complete Boolean algebras

Does the category of complete Boolean algebras have binary coproducts? Note that this category does not have countable coproducts. Indeed, the coproduct of countably many copies of the four element ...
Andre's user avatar
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An internal notion of freeness for complete Boolean algebras

Background and Definition Gaifman and Hales showed that there are no infinite free complete Boolean algebras. But let a complete Boolean algebra $B$ be internally free if there is a set $X\subseteq B$ ...
Peter Fritz's user avatar
11 votes
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Is every complete Boolean algebra isomorphic to the quotient of a powerset algebra?

Is every complete Boolean algebra isomorphic to a quotient, as a Boolean algebra, of some powerset algebra $\wp(X)$? It is not true for arbitrary Boolean algebras, see the comments, or see my MathSE ...
Thomas's user avatar
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1 answer
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A strictly descending chain of subalgebras of $P(\omega)/_{\mathrm{fin}}$

Consider the algebra $B=P(\omega)/_{\mathrm{fin}}$ (the quotient of the power set of natural numbers modulo the ideal of finite sets). Is there an infinite strictly descending chain $\{A_i\mid i\in I\}...
Rafał Gruszczyński's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
666 views

partitions of Boolean algebras

A partition of a Boolean algebra is a collection of pairwise disjoint nonzero elements with supremum 1. For any infinite Boolean algebra $A$ let $a(A)$ be the least size of an infinite partition of $A$...
Don Monk's user avatar
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Existence of a regular subposet which collapses everything except the top cardinal

Suppose $\delta$ is an inaccessible cardinal, and $\mathbb{P}$ is the Levy Collapse $\text{Col}(\kappa, \delta)$ which adds a surjection from $\kappa \to \delta$ (for some regular $\kappa < \delta$)...
Sean Cox's user avatar
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10 votes
6 answers
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Generalizations of Boolean posets/lattices

A Boolean lattice has a number of rather nice properties which give it a central role in many parts of combinatorics. For instance, it's a lattice, it can be augmented with a ring structure, it can ...
Harrison Brown's user avatar
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3 answers
725 views

When are two forcing posets "the same"?

Let $B$ and $C$ be complete Boolean algebras. To avoid triviality I may also want them to be atomless. For $b\in B$ nonzero, denote $B\upharpoonright b=\{p\in B:p\leq b\}$, which can be viewed as a ...
new account's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
344 views

Elementary equivalence between $n\mapsto n+1$ and its inverse on the Stone-Čech remainder?

Consider structures $(A,f)$ encoding a Boolean algebra $A$ endowed with an automorphism $f$. There is an obvious notion of isomorphism between such structures. Consider the endomorphism $\hat{\Phi}$ ...
YCor's user avatar
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10 votes
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749 views

Full conditional probabilities and versions of AC?

A probability is a finitely additive measure on a boolean algebra with total measure $1$. A function $P:\scr B \times (\scr B - \{ 0 \})$ is a full conditional probability on $\scr B$ (for a boolean ...
10 votes
1 answer
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Order theory as a foundation of mathematics?

I know the followings kinds of formalization of mathematics: based on set theory (e.g. ZFC) based on type theory (e.g. the formalism of Coq proof assistant, as an advanced example) based on category ...
porton's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
352 views

Are the Boolean algebras ${\cal P}(\omega)/(\text{fin})$ and ${\cal P}(\omega)/(\text{thin})$ isomorphic?

A set $A\subseteq \omega$ is said to be thin if $$\lim\sup_{n\to\infty}\frac{|A\cap \{0,\ldots, n\}|}{n+1} = 0.$$ We say for $A, B\subseteq \omega$ that $A\simeq_\text{fin} B$ if the symmetric ...
Dominic van der Zypen's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
409 views

Are there functions $\mathbb{F}_2^n \to \mathbb{F}_2$ satisfying these special relations?

Let $\mathbb{F}_2=\{0,1\}$ be the field with two elements, and let $u:\mathbb{F}_2^n\rightarrow \mathbb{F}_2$. Suppose that $n$ is odd. Is it possible that $$ \sum_{x \in \mathbb{F}_2^n}(-1)^{u(x)+u(...
Asaf Shachar's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
281 views

Independent families versus generators

I asked this question on M.SE a while ago and got no answers, so I'm asking it here. Let $\kappa$ be an infinite cardinal. A family $\mathcal{A}\subseteq\mathcal{P}(\kappa)$ is independent if for ...
Paul McKenney's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
376 views

Embeddings of Boolean algebras in $\wp(\omega)/Fin$

If we assume MA+¬CH, then every boolean algebra with cardinality smaller than the continuum embeds in ℘(ω)/Fin. A proof of this result can be found in Theorem 1.1, Chapter 8 of the book "Hausdorff ...
Claudia Correa's user avatar
9 votes
0 answers
347 views

Direct limits of $\sigma$-centered forcing notions

It is quite well known that Any FS (finite support) iteration of length $<\mathfrak{c}^+$ of $\sigma$-centered posets is $\sigma$-centered (see e.g. here). Now consider the following question: ...
dragoon's user avatar
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8 votes
4 answers
686 views

Are there $2^{\aleph_0}$ pairwise non-isomorphic Boolean algebra structures on $\omega$?

Is there a collection of $2^{\aleph_0}$ pairwise non-isomorphic countable Boolean algebras? Equivalently, are there $2^{\aleph_0}$ pairwise non-homeomorphic closed subsets in the Cantor space?
Dominic van der Zypen's user avatar
8 votes
4 answers
2k views

Terminology for relation on sets

Does the following relation between sets have a name or any special properties: $X\bigcirc Y$ iff $X \cap Y = \emptyset$ or $X\subseteq Y$ or $Y\subseteq X$. Although this is rather basic, it is ...
supercooldave's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
826 views

In what sense is GCD an extension of boolean OR?

The J Programming langauge has an operator which acts as both the GCD and boolean Or. The J Primer has this note about it: The GCD is a useful extension of the domain of the or function to non-...
Jonah's user avatar
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2 answers
858 views

Is there something like a Heyting Ring?

I would like to know whether a Heyting algebra gives rise to ring in a similar way that a Boolean algebra gives rise to a Boolean ring. In a Boolean algebra $(B,\lor,\land,\lnot,0,1)$ I can define ...
user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
286 views

Does $\aleph_0$-density of regular open algebra entail existence of countable basis?

Suppose that the family $\mathrm{RO}(X)$ of regular open subsets of $(X,\mathscr{O})$ is a basis of $X$. Let the density of $\mathrm{RO}(X)$ (considered as Boolean algebra) be $\aleph_0$. Does $X$ ...
Rafał Gruszczyński's user avatar
8 votes
5 answers
463 views

Ideals on $\mathbb N$ and large sets that have small intersection

Let $\mathcal I$ be a (non-principal) ideal of subsets of $\mathbb N$. Suppose that every family $\mathcal{A} \subset \wp(\mathbb N)\setminus \mathcal I$ with the following property is countable: $$A,...
Tomasz Kania's user avatar
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8 votes
2 answers
463 views

centeredness in forcing iterations

Suppose $A$ is a complete subalgebra of a complete boolean algebra $B$, and $B$ is $\kappa$-centered. Let $G \subset A$ be a generic ultrafilter. Is $B/G$ $\kappa$-centered in $V[G]$? Naively, we ...
Monroe Eskew's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
540 views

On $V$-decisive and weakly homogeneous forcings

Suppose that $\Bbb P$ is a forcing in $V$, we say that $\Bbb P$ is $V$-decisive if whenever $\varphi(x_1,\ldots,x_n)$ is a statement in the language of forcing, and $u_1,\ldots,u_n\in V$ then $1_{\Bbb ...
Asaf Karagila's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
228 views

Introducing meets while preserving directed closure

A poset $\mathbb{P}$ is called well-met iff every pair of compatible conditions in $\mathbb{P}$ has a greatest lower bound. Question: Suppose $\mathbb{P}$ is a separative partial order which is $\...
Sean Cox's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
288 views

Boolean-Valued Models: Why is $\| x=y \| \cdot \| \phi(x) \| \leq \| \phi(y) \|$?

Let $B$ be a complete Boolean algebra. Jech defines a Boolean-valued model $\mathfrak{A}$ of the language of set theory to consist of a Boolean universe $A$ and functions of two variables with values ...
user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
363 views

Counting copies of a BA within a BA: arbitrarily many vs infinitely many

Informally, I am wondering if a Boolean algebra $\mathcal{B}$ contains infinitely many disjoint copies of a Boolean algebra $\mathcal{A}$ whenever it contains arbitrarily many disjoint copies of $\...
Asher M. Kach's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
425 views

Intuition behind Boolean-valued models of set theory

$\DeclareMathOperator\Card{Card}$The book Forcing Eine Einführung in die Mathematik der Unabhängigkeitsbeweise by Hoffmann provides an intuition behind boolean valued models of set theory which I will ...
Bytegear's user avatar
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8 votes
0 answers
146 views

On the number of Reed–Muller codewords with no consecutive ones

$\DeclareMathOperator\RM{RM}\DeclareMathOperator\Eval{Eval}$Consider the polynomial ring $\mathbb{F}_2[x_1,x_2,\dotsc,x_m]$ and let $f\in \mathbb{F}_2[x_1,x_2,\dotsc,x_m]$. Let us now fix a Gray ...
Arvind Rameshwar's user avatar
7 votes
6 answers
2k views

Is there such a thing as the sigma-completion of a Boolean algebra?

Hi all, Suppose that $\mathcal{B}$ is a Boolean algebra. It there a way to extend $\mathcal{B}$ to a smallest Boolean algebra $\mathcal{B}'$ that contains an isomorphic copy of $\mathcal{B}$ and is ...
Phil Wild's user avatar
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