How statement and proof provenance work
The first chip identifies the source of the statement or construction; the second identifies the source of its local proof or verification.
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These labels describe origin, not correctness: citations and verification chips remain separate evidence.
Finite Boolean algebras are powersets of their atoms
Statement
An atom of is a nonzero element with no strictly smaller nonzero element. If is a finite Boolean algebra and is its set of atoms, the map
is a Boolean isomorphism . Each nonzero element contains an atom. Every ultrafilter is for a unique atom . This holds in ZF, including the trivial algebra.
Facts & Assumptions
Boolean algebras and their order supplies the bounded distributive lattice and complement laws, allowing .
Generated filters and the complementary-pair tests identifies ultrafilters with proper filters deciding complementary pairs.
Proof
Given: A finite Boolean algebra and its set of atoms.
For , the finite nonempty set has a minimal member: a strict descending sequence cannot have more distinct terms than this finite set. Such a minimal member is an atom. If atoms have nonzero meet, minimality gives . Thus distinct atoms are disjoint.
Put . This finite join is at most . If , step 1.1 gives an atom . Then puts , contradicting and . Hence .
Write . Meets correspond to intersections by the definition of lower bound. For an atom , the equation implies exactly one of and , since each piece is or . Therefore complements correspond to set complements, and joins correspond to unions by De Morgan's law; bounds correspond to . Step 2.1 proves injectivity. For , distinct-atom disjointness gives : an atom outside meets that finite join in . This proves surjectivity. If is trivial, and both algebras have one element.
For an ultrafilter , finiteness makes a member of , so and . If , then , so F2 gives and , contradicting . Hence is an atom. Conversely the upward filter generated by an atom is proper and decides every pair by step 3.1, so F2 makes it an ultrafilter. Two atoms generating the same filter each lie above the other and are equal. QED.
Depends on
Used by
Dependency tree · two levels
4 results within two dependency steps of this one, each drawn at its shortest distance from it. An arrow runs from a result to what uses it, so the chart reads left to right and ends at this result, which carries a heavier outline. Every node is a link to that result. Click elsewhere on the chart to enlarge it.
Sources
- Tressl, Stone Duality for Boolean Algebras, 2.3.1–2.3.3 (Boolean and ultrafilter conventions); local finite descent proof (standard reference, not scraped)