On a quasi-ordering on Boolean functions

Abstract

It was proved few years ago that classes of Boolean functions definable by means of functional equations \cite{EFHH}, or equivalently, by means of relational constraints \cite{Pi2}, coincide with initial segments of the quasi-ordered set $(\Omega, \leq)$ made of the set $\Omega$ of Boolean functions, suitably quasi-ordered. The resulting ordered set $(\Omega/\equiv, \sqsubseteq)$ embeds into $([\omega]^{<\omega}, \subseteq)$, the set -ordered by inclusion- of finite subsets of the set $\omega$ of integers. We prove that $(\Omega/\equiv, \sqsubseteq)$ also embeds $([\omega]^{<\omega}, \subseteq)$. We prove that initial segments of $(\Omega, \leq)$ which are definable by finitely many obstructions coincide with classes defined by finitely many equations. This gives, in particular, that the classes of Boolean functions with a bounded number of essential variables are finitely definable. As an example, we provide a concrete characterization of the subclasses made of linear functions.