Algebras from Congruences

Abstract

We present a functorial construction which, starting from a congruence $\alpha$ of finite index in an algebra A, yields a new algebra C with the following properties: the congruence lattice of C is isomorphic to the interval of congruences between 0 and $\alpha$ on A, this isomorphism preserves higher commutators and TCT types, and C inherits all idempotent Maltsev conditions from A. As applications of this construction, we first show that supernilpotence is decidable for congruences of finite algebras in varieties that omit type 1. Secondly, we prove that the subpower membership problem for finite algebras with a cube term can be effectively reduced to membership questions in subdirect products of subdirectly irreducible algebras with central monoliths. As a consequence, we obtain a polynomial time algorithm for the subpower membership problem for finite algebras with a cube term in which the monolith of every subdirectly irreducible section has a supernilpotent centralizer.