Checking Admissibility Using Natural Dualities

Abstract

This article presents a new method for obtaining small algebras to check the admissibility—equivalently, validity in free algebras—of quasi-identities in a finitely generated quasivariety. Unlike a previous algebraic approach of Metcalfe and Röthlisberger, which is feasible only when the relevant free algebra is not too large, this method exploits natural dualities for quasivarieties to work with structures of smaller cardinality and surjective rather than injective morphisms. A number of case studies are described here that could not be be solved using the algebraic approach, including (quasi)varieties of MS-algebras, double Stone algebras, and involutive Stone algebras.