We study modal logics in the setting of varieties of modal algebras. Any variety of modal algebras generated by a finite algebra — such, a variety is called tabular — has only finitely many subvarieties, i.e. is of finite height. The converse does not hold in general. It is shown that the converse does hold in the lattice of varieties of K4-algebras. Hence the lower part of this lattice consists of tabular varieties only. We proceed to show that there is (...) a continuum of pretabular varieties of K4-algebras — those are the non-tabular varieties all of whose proper subvarieties are tabular — in contrast with Maksimova's result that there are only five pretabular varieties of S4-algebras. (shrink)

Questions connected with the admissibility of rules of inference and the solvability of the substitution problem for modal and intuitionistic logic are considered in an algebraic framework. The main result is the decidability of the universal theory of the free modal algebra imageω extended in signature by adding constants for free generators. As corollaries we obtain: there exists an algorithm for the recognition of admissibility of rules with parameters in the modal system Grz, the substitution problem for Grz and for (...) the intuitionistic calculus H is decidable, intuitionistic propositional calculus H is decidable with respect to admissibility . A semantical criterion for the admissibility of rules of inference in Grz is given. (shrink)