On Birkhoff's Quasigroup Axioms
On Birkhoff's Quasigroup Axioms J.D. Phillips∗,a, D.I. Pushkashub, A.V. Shcherbacovc, V.A. Shcherbacovb aNorthern Michigan University, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Marquette, Michigan bInstitute of Mathematics and Computer Science Academy of Sciences of Moldova Academiei str. 5, MD-2028, Chi¸sin˘au,Moldova cTheoretical Lyceum \C.Sibirschi," Lech Kaczyski str. 4, MD-2028, Chi¸sin˘au,Moldova Abstract Birkhoff defined a quasigroup as an algebra (Q; ·; n; =) that satisfies the fol- lowing six identities: x · (xny) = y,(y=x) · x = y, xn(x · y) = y,(y · x)=x = y, x=(ynx) = y, and (x=y)nx = y . We investigate triples and tetrads of identi- ties composed of these six, emphasizing those that axiomatize the variety of quasigroups. Key words: (left) quasigroup, (equational) quasigroup, division groupoid, cancellation groupoid 2000 MSC: 20N05 1 1. Introduction and Terminology 2 A binary groupoid,(G; A), is a non-empty set G, together with a binary 3 operation A. It is customary to omit the adjective \binary" and to refer to 4 these simply as \groupoids." We will include the adjective \binary" in those 5 instances where we wish to emphasize it. 6 Moufang [9, 18] defined a quasigroup as a groupoid (Q; ◦) in which, for 7 all a; b 2 Q, there exist unique solutions x; y 2 Q to the equations x ◦ a = 8 b and a ◦ y = b. Moufang also included two of the laws that eventually 9 came to be called \the Moufang laws" in her definition of quasigroup, viz. 10 (x·y)·(z ·x) = x·((y ·z)·x).
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