- Stone's representation theorem for Boolean algebras
In
mathematics , Stone's representation theorem for Boolean algebras states that everyBoolean algebra isisomorphic to afield of sets . The theorem is fundamental to the deeper understanding ofBoolean algebra that emerged in the first half of the 20th century. The theorem was first proved by Stone (1936), and thus named in his honor. Stone was led to it by his study of thespectral theory of operators on aHilbert space .tone spaces
Each
Boolean algebra "B" has an associated topological space, denoted here "S"("B"), called its Stone space. The points in "S"("B") are theultrafilter s on "B", or equivalently the homomorphisms from "B" to the 2-element Boolean algebra. The topology on "S"("X") is generated by a basis consisting of all sets of the form:x in S(X) mid b in x},where "b" is an element of "B".For any Boolean algebra "B", "S"("B") is a compact
totally disconnected Hausdorff space; such spaces are called Stone spaces. Conversely, given any topological space "X", the collection of subsets of "X" that are clopen (both closed and open) is a Boolean algebra.Representation theorem
A simple version of Stone's representation theorem states that any Boolean algebra "B" is isomorphic to the algebra of clopen subsets of its Stone space "S"("B"). The full statement of the theorem uses the language of
category theory ; it states that there is a duality between the category of Boolean algebras and the category of Stone spaces. This duality means that in addition to the isomorphisms between Boolean algebras and their Stone spaces, each homomorphism from a Boolean algebra "A" to a Boolean algebra "B" corresponds in a natural way to a continuous function from "S"("B") to "S"("A"). In other words, there is acontravariant functor that gives an equivalence between the categories. This was the first example of a nontrivial duality of categories.The theorem is a special case of
Stone duality , a more general framework for dualities betweentopological space s andpartially ordered set s.The proof requires either the
axiom of choice or a weakened form of it. Specifically, the theorem is equivalent to theBoolean prime ideal theorem , a weakened choice principle which states that every Boolean algebra has a prime ideal.ee also
*
Field of sets
*List of Boolean algebra topics
*Stonean space References
*
Paul Halmos , and Givant, Steven (1998) "Logic as Algebra". Dolciani Mathematical Expositions No. 21.The Mathematical Association of America .
* Johnstone, Peter T. (1982) "Stone Spaces". Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-23893-5.
*Marshall H. Stone (1936) " [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-9947%28193607%2940%3A1%3C37%3ATTORFB%3E2.0.CO%3B2-8 The Theory of Representations of Boolean Algebras,] " "Transactions of the American Mathematical Society 40": 37-111. A monograph available free online:
* Burris, Stanley N., and H.P. Sankappanavar, H. P.(1981) " [http://www.thoralf.uwaterloo.ca/htdocs/ualg.html A Course in Universal Algebra.] " Springer-Verlag. ISBN 3-540-90578-2.
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