Duality Theorems for Finite Structures (Characterising Gaps and Good Characterisations)

Abstract

We provide a correspondence between the subjects of duality and density in classes of finite relational structures. The purpose of duality is to characterise the structures C that do not admit a homomorphism into a given target B by the existence of a homomorphism from a structure A into C. Density is the order-theoretic property of containing no covers (or "gaps"). We show that the covers in the skeleton of a category of finite relational models correspond naturally to certain instances of duality statements, and we characterise these covers. © 2000 Academic Press.