Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 April 2009
One of the more important concepts in the study of universal algebras is that of a free algebra. It is our purpose in this communication to describe the structure of the free algebra Kk() of k generators (k a positive integer) determined by a categorical algebra, and to indicate how this information encompasses results in such diverse areas as the study of Post algebras, boolean rings, p-rings, pk-rings, finite commutative rings with unity, etc.
A finite algebra is called categorical if every algebra in its equational class is isomorphic to a sub-direct power of A. If has n elements, permutable identities, no non-identical automorphism and exactly m distinct one-element subalgebras, then .