Summary
Assume a partially ordered set (S, ≤) and a relation R on S. We consider various sets of conditions in order to determine whether they ensure the existence of a least reflexive point, that is, a least x such that x Rx. This is a generalization of the problem of determining the least fixed point of a function and the conditions under which it exists. To motivate the investigation we first present a theorem by Cai and Paige giving conditions under which iterating R from the bottom element necessarily leads to a minimal reflexive point; the proof is by a concise relation-algebraic calculation. Then, we assume a complete lattice and exhibit sufficient conditions, depending on whether R is partial or not, for the existence of a least reflexive point. Further results concern the structure of the set of all reflexive points; among other results we give a sufficient condition for these to form a complete lattice, thus generalizing Tarski’s classical result to the nondeterministic case.
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Desharnais, J., Möller, B. (2008). Least Reflexive Points of Relations. In: Danvy, O., Mairson, H., Henglein, F., Pettorossi, A. (eds) Automatic Program Development. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6585-9_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6585-9_14
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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