On the Uniqueness of Lattice Characterization of Groups

Abstract

We analyze the problem of the uniqueness of characterization of groups by their weak congruence lattices. We discuss the possibility that the same algebraic lattice L acts as a weak congruence lattice of a group in more than one way, so that the corresponding diagonals are represented by different elements of L. If this is impossible, that is, if L can be interpreted as a weak congruence lattice of a group in a single way, we say that L is a sharp lattice. We prove that groups in many classes have a sharp weak congruence lattice. In particular, we analyze connections among isomorphisms of subgroup lattices of groups and isomorphisms of their weak congruence lattices. Summing up, we prove that there is a one-to-one correspondence between many known classes of groups and lattice-theoretic properties associated with each of these classes. Finally, an open problem is formulated related to the uniqueness of the element corresponding to the diagonal in the lattice of weak congruences of a group.