On commutative weak BCK-algebras

Abstract

The class of weak BCK-algebras is obtained by weakening one of standard BCK axioms. It is known that every weak BCK-algebra is completely determined by the structure of its initial segments. We review several natural classes of commutative weak BCK-algebras, prove that they are equationally definable, and show that the order duals of a multitude of algebras with implication known in the literature in connection with various quantum logics are, in fact, commutative weak BCK-algebras belonging to that or other of these classes. We also characterize initial segments of algebras in each of the classes as lattices equipped with a suitable kind of complementation. In particular, commutative weak BCK-algebras are just those meet semilattices with the least element in which all initial segments are non-distributive de Morgan lattices.