The concepts of binary constraint satisfaction problems can be naturally generalized to the relation algebras of Tarski. The concept of path-consistency plays a central role. Algorithms for path-consistency can be implemented on matrices of relations and on matrices of elements from a relation algebra. We give an example of a 4-by-4 matrix of infinite relations on which no iterative local path-consistency algorithm terminates. We give a class of examples over a fixed finite algebra on which all iterative local algorithms, whether parallel or sequential, must take quadratic time. Specific relation algebras arising from interval constraint problems are also studied: the Interval Algebra, the Point Algebra, and the Containment Algebra. 1 Introduction The logical study of binary relations is classical [8], [9], [51], [52], [56], [53], [54]. Following this tradition, Tarski formulated the theory of binary relations as an algebraic theory called relation algebra [59] 1 . Constraint satis...

We view the Chu space interpretation of linear logic as an alternative interpretation of the language of the Peirce calculus of binary relations. Chu spaces amount to K-valued binary relations, which for K = 2 n we show generalize n-ary relational structures. We also exhibit a four-stage unique factorization system for Chu transforms that illuminates their operation. 1 Introduction In 1860 A. De Morgan [DM60] introduced a calculus of binary relations equivalent in expressive power to one whose formulas, written in today's notation, are inequalities a b between terms a; b; . . . built up from variables with the operations of composition a; b, converse a, and complement a \Gamma . In 1870 C.S. Peirce [Pei33] extended De Morgan's calculus with Boolean connectives a + b and ab, Boolean constants 0 and 1, and an identity 1 0 for composition. In 1895 E. Schroder devoted a book [Sch95] to the calculus, and further extended it with the operations of reflexive transitive closure, a ...

The central result of this paper is that every pair-dense relation algebra is completely representable. A relation algebra is said to be pair-dense if every nonzero element below the identity contains a "pair". A pair is the relation algebraic analogue of a relation of the form fha; ai ; hb; big (with a = b allowed). In a simple pair-dense relation algebra, every pair is either a "point" (an algebraic analogue of fha; aig) or a "twin" (a pair which contains no point). In fact, every simple pairdense relation algebra A is completely representable over a set U iff jU j = + 2, where is the number of points of A and is the number of twins of A.

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The varieties RA of relation algebras and DA of dynamic algebras are similar with regard to definitional capacity, admitting essentially the same equational definitions of converse and star. They differ with regard to completeness and decidability. The RA definitions that are incomplete with respect to representable relation algebras, when expressed in their DA form are complete with respect to representable dynamic algebras. Moreover, whereas the theory of RA is undecidable, that of DA is decidable in exponential time. These results follow from representability of the free intensional dynamic algebras. Dept. of Computer Science, Stanford, CA 94305. This paper is based on a talk given at the conference Algebra and Computer Science, Ames, Iowa, June 2-4, 1988. It will appear in the proceedings of that conference, to be published by SpringerVerlag in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science series. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number CCR-8814921 ...

The formalization of the “part – of ” relationship goes back to the mereology of S. Le´sniewski, subsequently taken up by Leonard & Goodman (1940), and Clarke (1981). In this paper we investigate relation algebras obtained from different notions of “part–of”, respectively, “connectedness” in various domains. We obtain minimal models for the relational part of mereology in a general setting, and when the underlying set is an atomless Boolean algebra. 1

This investigation concerns representations of time by means of intervals, stemming from work of Allen [All83] and van Benthem [vBen83]. Allen described an Interval Calculus of thirteen binary relations on convex intervals over a linear order (the real numbers). He gave a practical algorithm for checking the consistency of a subclass of Boolean constraints. First, we describe a completeness theorem for Allen's calculus, in its corresponding formulation as a first-order theory LM . LM is countably categorical, and axiomatises the complete theory of intervals over a dense unbounded linear order. Its only countable model up to isomorphism is the non-trivial intervals over the rational numbers. Algorithms are given for quantifer-elimination, consistency checking, and satisfaction of arbitrary first-order formulas in the Interval Calculus. A natural countable model of the calculus is presented, the TUS , in which clock- and calendar-time may be represented in a straightforward way. Allen an...

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 characterised 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. Countable relation algebras with homogeneous representations are characterised by first order formulas. Equivalence games are defined, and are used to establish whether an algebra is !-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 twoplayer game, and using it to derive equational axiomatisations for the classes of all representable relation algebras and representable cylindric algebras. Other instances of this ap...

These are notes for a short course on relation algebras, finite-dimensional cylindric algebras, and their interconnections, delivered at the Conference on Algebraic Logic, Budapest, Hungary, August 8--14, 1988, sponsored by the the Janos Bolyai Mathematical Society.

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.