Skip to main content
Log in

Parametrized Arity Gap

  • Published:
Order Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We propose a parametrized version of arity gap. The parametrized arity gap gap (f, ℓ) of a function \(f \colon A^n \to B\) measures the minimum decrease in the number of essential variables of f when ℓ consecutive identifications of pairs of essential variables are performed. We determine gap (f, ℓ) for an arbitrary function f and a nonnegative integer ℓ. We also propose other variants of arity gap and discuss further problems pertaining to the effect of identification of variables on the number of essential variables of functions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Berman, J., Kisielewicz, A.: On the number of operations in a clone. Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 122, 359–369 (1994)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  2. Bouaziz, M., Couceiro, M., Pouzet, M.: Join-irreducible Boolean functions. Order 27, 261–282 (2010)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  3. Couceiro, M.: On the lattice of equational classes of Boolean functions and its closed intervals. J. Mult.-Valued Logic Soft Comput. 18, 81–104 (2008)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  4. Couceiro, M., Lehtonen, E.: On the effect of variable identification on the essential arity of functions on finite sets. Int. J. Found. Comput. Sci. 18, 975–986 (2007)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  5. Couceiro, M., Lehtonen, E.: Generalizations of Świerczkowski’s lemma and the arity gap of finite functions. Discrete Math. 309, 5905–5912 (2009)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Couceiro, M., Lehtonen, E., Waldhauser, T.: The arity gap of order-preserving functions and extensions of pseudo-Boolean functions. Discrete Appl. Math. 160, 383–390 (2012)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  7. Couceiro, M., Lehtonen, E., Waldhauser, T.: Decompositions of functions based on arity gap. Discrete Math. 312, 238–247 (2012)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  8. Couceiro, M., Lehtonen, E., Waldhauser, T.: On the arity gap of polynomial functions. arXiv:1104.0595 (2011)

  9. Couceiro, M., Pouzet, M.: On a quasi-ordering on Boolean functions. Theor. Comput. Sci. 396, 71–87 (2008)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Lehtonen, E.: Descending chains and antichains of the unary, linear, and monotone subfunction relations. Order 23, 129–142 (2006)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  11. Lehtonen, E., Szendrei, Á.: Equivalence of operations with respect to discriminator clones. Discrete Math. 309, 673–685 (2009)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. Pippenger, N.: Galois theory for minors of finite functions. Discrete Math. 254, 405–419 (2002)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  13. Salomaa, A.: On essential variables of functions, especially in the algebra of logic. Ann. Acad. Sci. Fenn. Ser. A I. Math. 339, 3–11 (1963)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  14. Shtrakov, S., Koppitz, J.: On finite functions with non-trivial arity gap. Discuss. Math. Gen. Algebra Appl. 30, 217–245 (2010)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  15. Wang, C.: Boolean minors. Discrete Math. 141, 237–258 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Willard, R.: Essential arities of term operations in finite algebras. Discrete Math. 149, 239–259 (1996)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. Zverovich, I.E.: Characterizations of closed classes of Boolean functions in terms of forbidden subfunctions and Post classes. Discrete Appl. Math. 149, 200–218 (2005)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erkko Lehtonen.

Additional information

The first named author is supported by the internal research project F1R-MTH-PUL-09MRDO of the University of Luxembourg. The third named author acknowledges that the present project is supported by the TÁMOP-4.2.1/B-09/1/KONV-2010-0005 program of the National Development Agency of Hungary, by the Hungarian National Foundation for Scientific Research under grants no. K77409 and K83219, by the National Research Fund of Luxembourg, and cofunded under the Marie Curie Actions of the European Commission (FP7-COFUND).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Couceiro, M., Lehtonen, E. & Waldhauser, T. Parametrized Arity Gap. Order 30, 557–572 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11083-012-9261-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11083-012-9261-5

Keywords

Mathematics Subject Classifications (2010)

Navigation