Varieties of De Morgan monoids: minimality and irreducible algebras

Abstract

It is proved that every finitely subdirectly irreducible De Morgan monoid A (with neutral element e) is either (i) a Sugihara chain in which e covers not(e) or (ii) the union of an interval subalgebra [not(a), a] and two chains of idempotents, (not(a)] and [a), where a = (not(e))^2. In the latter case, the variety generated by [not(a), a] has no nontrivial idempotent member, and A/[not(a)) is a Sugihara chain in which not(e) = e. It is also proved that there are just four minimal varieties of De Morgan monoids. This theorem is then used to simplify the proof of a description (due to K. Swirydowicz) of the lower part of the subvariety lattice of relevant algebras. The results throw light on the models and the axiomatic extensions of fundamental relevance logics.