We study algebras whose elements are relations, and the operations are natural “manipulations” of relations. This area goes back to 140 years ago to works of De Morgan, Peirce, Schröder . Well known examples of algebras of relations are the varieties RCAn of cylindric algebras of n-ary relations, RPEAn of polyadic equality algebras of n-ary relations, and RRA of binary relations with composition. We prove that any axiomatization, say E, of RCAn has to be very complex in the following sense: (...) for every natural number k there is an equation in E containing more than k distinct variables and all the operation symbols, if 2 < n < ω. Completely analogous statement holds for the case n ω. This improves Monk's famous non-finitizability theorem for which we give here a simple proof. We prove analogous nonfinitizability properties of the larger varieties SNrnCAn + k. We prove that the complementation-free subreducts of RCAn do not form a variety. We also investigate the reason for the above “non-finite axiomatizability” behaviour of RCAn. We look at all the possible reducts of RCAn and investigate which are finitely axiomatizable. We obtain several positive results in this direction. Finally, we summarize the results and remaining questions in a figure. We carry through the same programme for RPEAn and for RRA. By looking into the reducts we also investigate what other kinds of natural algebras of relations are possible with more positive behaviour than that of the well known ones. Our investigations have direct consequences for the logical properties of the n-variable fragment Ln of first order logic. The reason for this is that RCAn and RPEAn are the natural algebraic counterparts of Ln while the varieties SNrnCAn + k are in connection with the proof theory of Ln. This paper appears in two parts. The first part contains the non-finite axiomatizability results. The present second part contains finite axiomatizations of some fragments together with a figure summarizing the finite and non-finite axiomatizability results in this area and the problems left open. (shrink)

We solve a problem of Tarski, and his co-authors Andréka, Henkin, Monk, and Németi and confirm a conjecture of Németi. We show that for any pair of ordinals 1 < α < β, the class of α-dimensional neat reducts of β-dimensional cylindric algebras is not elementary. The construction we use when α is infinite also settles a conjecture of Tarski in the affirmative.

We investigate some relations between omitting types of a countable theory and some notions defined in terms of the real line, such as for example the ideal of meager subsets ofR. We also try to express connections between the logical structure of a theory and the existence of its countable models omitting certain families of types.It is well known that assuming MA we can omit (...) able to omit shrink)

The set of equations which use only one variable and hold in all representable relation algebras cannot be derived from any finite set of equations true in all representable relation algebras. Similar results hold for cylindric algebras and for logic with finitely many variables. The main tools are a construction of nonrepresentable one-generated relation algebras, a method for obtaining cylindric algebras from relation algebras, and the use of relation algebras in defining algebraic semantics for first-order logic.

We consider the problem of finding and classifying representations in algebraic logic. This is approached by letting two players build a representation using a game. Homogeneous and universal representations are characterized according to the outcome of certain games. The Lyndon conditions defining representable relation algebras (for the finite case) and a similar schema for cylindric algebras are derived. Finite relation algebras with homogeneous representations are characterized by first order formulas. Equivalence games are defined, and are used to establish whether an (...) algebra is ω-categorical. We have a simple proof that the perfect extension of a representable relation algebra is completely representable. An important open problem from algebraic logic is addressed by devising another two-player game, and using it to derive equational axiomatisations for the classes of all representable relation algebras and representable cylindric algebras. Other instances of this approach are looked at, and include the step by step method. (shrink)

We study relation algebras with n-dimensional relational bases in the sense of Maddux. Fix n with 3nω. Write Bn for the class of non-associative algebras with an n-dimensional relational basis, and RAn for the variety generated by Bn. We define a notion of relativised representation for algebras in RAn, and use it to give an explicit equational axiomatisation of RAn, and to reprove Maddux's result that RAn is canonical. We show that the algebras in Bn are precisely those that have (...) a complete relativised representation of this type. Then we prove that whenever 4nshrink)

A boolean algebra is shown to be completely representable if and only if it is atomic, whereas it is shown that neither the class of completely representable relation algebras nor the class of completely representable cylindric algebras of any fixed dimension (at least 3) are elementary.