Relation Algebras

Abstract

The contemporary theory of relation algebras is a direct outgrowth of the nineteenth century calculus of relations. After a few examples illustrating the calculus of relations (the most widely applied part of the subject), this chapter touches upon some topics in the algebraic theory of relation algebras: basic definitions, examples, constructions, elementary arithmetical theory, general algebraic results, representation theorems with applications, and connections with logic, including Tarski's formalization of set theory without variables.