Free Boolean algebra

A Boolean algebra with a system of generators such that every mapping from this system into a Boolean algebra can be extended to a homomorphism. Every Boolean algebra is isomorphic to a quotient algebra of some free Boolean algebra.

For any cardinal number there is a unique (up to an isomorphism) free Boolean algebra with generators. Its Stone space is the topological product of simple colons, that is, it is a dyadic discontinuum.

A finite Boolean algebra is free if and only if its number of elements is of the form , where is the number of generators. Such a free Boolean algebra is realized as the algebra of Boolean functions (cf. Boolean function) of variables. A countable free Boolean algebra is isomorphic to the algebra of open-closed subsets of the Cantor set. Every set of pairwise-disjoint elements of a free Boolean algebra is finite or countable.

An infinite free Boolean algebra cannot be complete. On the other hand, the cardinality of any infinite complete Boolean algebra is the least upper bound of the cardinalities of its free subalgebras (see [5]).

References

[1]	R. Sikorski, "Boolean algebras" , Springer (1969)
[2]	D.A. Vladimirov, "Boolesche Algebren" , Akademie Verlag (1978) (Translated from Russian)
[3]	P.R. Halmos, "Lectures on Boolean algebras" , v. Nostrand (1963)
[4]	G. Birkhoff, "Lattice theory" , Colloq. Publ. , 25 , Amer. Math. Soc. (1973)
[5]	S.V. Kislyakov, "Free subalgebras of complete Boolean algebras, and spaces of continuous functions" Siberian Math. J. , 14 (1973) pp. 395–403 Sibirsk. Mat. Zh. , 14 : 3 (1973) pp. 569–581